HP: Supreme Potion Collector [Original Female Protagonist]

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It took three days before Harry finally woke up in the hospital wing. Ron had already recovered before him.

Orli managed to explain everything in a fairly reasonable way:

She noticed Hermione sneaking out of the dormitory and, worried about potential danger, intended to find Professor McGonagall or the headmaster. She then encountered Snape, who contacted Dumbledore.

Ron, who was among the first to hear the truth, could hardly believe it until Harry woke up and confirmed Orli's story. They had been keeping vigil outside the hospital wing, and Madam Pomfrey finally let them in after Dumbledore finished talking with Harry.

"Harry! What exactly happened?" Ron exclaimed.

"The whole school is talking about it - Quirrell was the one trying to steal the Stone?!"

Harry told them everything that had happened - about Quirrell, the mirror, the Stone, and Voldemort. Ron and Hermione listened intently.

"So You-Know-Who was attached to the back of Quirrell's head the whole time?!" Ron shrieked.

"And Snape wasn't trying to harm you at all - on the contrary, he was watching Quirrell..." Hermione muttered absently.

"And it was Quirrell who jinxed Harry's broom!" Ron added. "Both times!"

Harry turned his gaze to Orli.

"I'm sorry, Orli. We were wrong all along. I wish I had listened to you earlier..." he said apologetically.

"I'm sorry." Hermione gave Orli a tight hug.

Ron stood there blushing, hesitating until Harry gave him a pat from behind. Finally, he managed to say:

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about it... it's alright," Orli said, her cheeks flushing. She hugged Hermione back and shook hands with both Harry and Ron.

"Do you think Dumbledore meant for this to happen?" Ron said, as if struck by sudden insight. "He just admitted to you that he was the one who sent you the Invisibility Cloak."

"But Harry could have been killed!" Hermione burst out.

"I think he wanted to give me a chance to face Voldemort," Harry said. "He seems to know something about what I did. Instead of stopping us, he quietly gave me useful things, like explaining how the Mirror of Erised works."

Harry had come very close to the truth.

Orli felt relieved that she no longer had to struggle with concealing things from her friends.

Soon after, they were all shooed out by Madam Pomfrey. Harry wasn't released from the hospital wing until the end-of-term feast the next evening.

The Great Hall fell silent when Harry entered, with everyone staring at him. Then the buzzing whispers broke out:

"He... fourth floor... three-headed dog..."

"The Stone... in the school..."

"Potter... Quirrell..."

Fortunately, Dumbledore arrived moments later, and the hall quieted down.

"Another year gone!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And now, before we begin our banquet, I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were... 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 302 points; in third, Hufflepuff with 352; Ravenclaw has 426 and Slytherin, 472."

A storm of cheering and stamping broke out from the Slytherin table. Draco Malfoy was banging his goblet on the table.

Harry and Ron glared at him angrily while Orli was doing some quick mental calculations. Because of her presence, Gryffindor had lost more points than expected - they were now 170 points behind Slytherin. Even if Ron and Hermione got 50 points each, Harry got 60, and Neville got 10, they would only tie!

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

The room went very still.

"First - to Mr. Ronald Weasley, for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor fifty points."

Ron's face went purple with pride. Percy could be heard telling the other prefects, "My brother, you know! My youngest brother!"

"Second - to Miss Hermione Granger, for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, and unwavering loyalty to her friends, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

Hermione buried her face in her arms; Orli strongly suspected she had burst into tears.

"Third - to Mr. Harry Potter, for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."

The din was deafening. The Weasley twins had jumped onto the table. They had gained 160 points!

No one seemed to care about the 150 points they had previously lost. All the Gryffindors were ecstatic.

"Fourth - to Mr. Neville Longbottom, for standing up for his beliefs in the face of his friends, which takes a different kind of courage. I award him ten points."

Neville went white with shock. Ron and Seamus beside him cheered loudly. Those who were keeping score while shouting themselves hoarse quickly realized - Gryffindor and Slytherin were now tied!

"Oh my goodness, just one point! We just need one more point!" Hermione clutched Orli's arm so tightly it was starting to bruise. "I should have answered one more question in class!"

Dumbledore raised his hand and the room gradually fell silent.

"Friends are our life's treasures," Dumbledore smiled. "We must learn to cherish their good words and faithful advice. When we make mistakes or stray from our path, our friends' valuable counsel becomes our guiding light. For Miss Orli Waters' keen insight, I award Gryffindor ten more points!"

The noise that erupted from the Gryffindor table was so tumultuous that if anyone had been standing outside the Great Hall, they would have thought an explosion had occurred. The cheers rose in waves as people rushed forward to embrace them. Orli stood stunned as she was engulfed by the crowd. She lost count of how many hugs she received, while Ron, Hermione, and Neville were equally dazed. The Weasley twins even hoisted Harry into the air.

Even the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws joined in the celebrations, seeming just as pleased to see Slytherin's sudden defeat.

"Which means," Dumbledore had to cast Sonorus to be heard over the storm of applause, "we need a little change of decoration."

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

From across the hall, Orli could see Snape shaking hands with Professor McGonagall, wearing a forced smile. His eyes met hers briefly, and her elation froze - that look clearly said "you'll pay for this."

She seriously suspected Dumbledore had set her up by mentioning her last - it made it seem like she was responsible for Slytherin's loss!

Thankfully, summer vacation was next, so she wouldn't have to face Snape's venomous attacks alone in the Potions office. Like an ostrich, Orli tried to comfort herself by forcing thoughts of Snape and next term from her mind, focusing instead on her treacle tart.

Their excitement had almost made them forget that exam results were still to come, but they all passed with good marks. Hermione, of course, came top of the year.

Orli first checked her Potions grade in the stack of results - there was a bright "O" marked clearly.

Then suddenly, their wardrobes were empty, their trunks were packed, and everyone received notes warning them not to use magic over the holidays. They were herded in groups onto the Hogwarts Express.

They ate Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans as they changed out of their robes, making their final journey back to platform nine and three-quarters.

"You must all come and stay this summer," said Ron. "All three of you - I'll send owls!"

They walked through the gateway back to the Muggle world, and immediately heard a shrill young voice:

"There he is, Mom! Look!" It was Ginny, Ron's sister, pointing excitedly at Harry. "Harry Potter! Look, Mom, I can see-"

"Be quiet, Ginny, it's rude to point," said Mrs. Weasley, smiling down at them.

"Hello, Mrs. Weasley. Thank you for the fudge and sweater," Harry said politely.

"Hello, Mrs. Weasley," Orli added shyly. Though their letters had felt warm, she still felt a bit reserved in person.

"It's nothing, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, patting both their shoulders.

"Ready, are you?" It was a purple-faced fat man who cut them off rudely, glaring angrily at Harry. Orli looked between Harry and the man, guessing this must be his Uncle Vernon.

Hermione and Orli exchanged glances. They immediately understood each other's thoughts: How could anyone have such unpleasant relatives?!

"See you over the summer, then," said Harry, as he was nearly dragged away.

"Write often! All of you!" Hermione called after them, making sure to remind each one.

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Author's Note:

This concludes Part One - The Philosopher's Stone. For Orli, the first year was an adjustment phase where she had to face many unknowns and sort out her own thoughts. Starting from Part Two, there will be increasingly significant changes to the original plot as she intervenes in her own way to protect her friends. Regarding the romantic aspect, I can only say this is a slow-burn story - the protagonist grows from age 11, and the professor is not a pedophile. I hope readers will continue following the story.