All the next day Ron was excited, Granger was nervous, Blaise was amused by Granger being so nervous and Harry seemed to be rife with boyish attitude, like the thought of breaking the rules tonight was enboldening him - he seemed much more sassy than usual, even talked back to Snape and lost Gryffindor points. Their last lesson was flying - Ron loved flying, so did Harry, and Madame Hooch said they were both pretty good too. Only this lesson went a little differently. They were playing three-a-side air-soccer, a game invented by Dean, who loved soccer which was a muggle game. It was Malfoy, Ron, and Blaise versus Harry, Seamus and Dean, because Madame Hooch wanted them to stay low to the ground, they had to kick the soccer ball but weren't allowed to use their hands to carry it like normal Quidditch and weren't allowed to touch the ground. Granger, who was dreadful at flying and didn't even want to learn was a reluctant 'referee' Dean called her.

It was 8-12 Slytheirn's way when it happened, Hermione called Harry's foul for flying above 10 feet from the ground, but Harry didn't come back down.

"Madame Hooch!" Hermione called, the woman came running over from where she was trying to teach Neville Longbottom how to stay on his broom - he kept sliding off the end.

"Mr. Potter!" She called, "Come back here."

"I- er, can't" Harry called back as he rose even higher. Then his broom lurched. Harry held on, but he was then thrown around, the broom rolled and shook. Like it was trying to buck him off. Ron's frown deepened, Malfoy was laughing, Ron jumped on his own broom and shot up to his best mate, slowly followed by Madame Hooch. As they got closer, Harry's broom would jump further away.

"Stay back." Ron said, "We'll have to catch him if he falls."

Madame Hooch actually looked frightened. Ron groaned, not taking his eyes off Harry still on the bucking broom.

"Hey Malfoy!" He yelled, his roommate appeared to ignore him. "Come on Malfoy you're one of the best in the class, get up here and help me catch him.

To his surprise it was Hermione who met him in the air.

"Whats happening?" She asked, Ron was relieved to see Blaise, Seamus and Dean had come up with her, all keeping a close eye on their friend.

"Someone must be jinxing the broom." Ron said, Hermione instantly looked around her, as though she could see who it was.

"I've read about that. It must be someone in the castle," She muttered, then to Ron's surprise grabbed his shoulder and climbed onto his broom.

"What are you doing Granger?" Ron yelled, trying to keep himself in the air, the other three boys were flying under Harry in a circle waiting for him to fall.

"Go look in the windows!" Hermione said, and he did, Hermione squeaked as he pointed the broom towards the school and shot across the grounds like a bullet.

She had her wand drawn as they flew past each window, nearing the first floor there was a shout from their class - Harry was back on the ground. Ron kept flying along the castle wall until he saw a pale face in the first floor window, not even close to his classroom.

It was Quirrel. Who was following them on the boom with his displeased and uncharachteristically unwavering stare.

Ron rejoined his class, all of them now firmly on the ground. Harry lost points for messing around. Hermione was the one who endevoured to set the record straight.

"Madame Hooch we think someone put a jinx on Harry's broomstick!" She insisted, Hooch shook her head.

"I doubt that Miss Granger, not even I am skilled enough to jinx a broom like that."

"Someone in the castle then?" Hermione continued, "That's why it stopped when Ron and I flew over there." Ron nodded remembering th look on Quirrel's face.

"Miss Granger, no one at Hogwarts would do that to a student, I assure you everythingis fine Mr. Potter just lost control of his broomstick. Now, that being said Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, all that flying today was very impressive. I'm going to tell your Heads of house that you're both a shoe in for next years teams." Ron beamed at Harry, Granger still looked put-out but Ron didn't pay her any mind. They were let off early and Granger and Blaise joined Harry and Ron on the walk up to the castle.

"I think you were right Hermione." Harry told her. Balise agreed.

"Brooms don't do that by themselves." He said.

"Who would try to kill Harry though?" Hermione asked. Ron grimaced.

"I can think of one person who's already tried."

"Hes dead, Weasley." Blaise said, Ron just shrugged.

"It must be a teacher," Hermione said, "One of the more powerful ones."

"Snape?" Harry asked, Hermione looked convinced.

"I don't think so," Ron said, Blaise agreed. "Hes a jerk to you sure, but hes not a murderer. The Slytherins actually like him."

"Who do you think it is then?" Hermione asked him, her tone sounding as though she was already ready to tell him his suggestion was stupid.

"Quirrel," Ron grumbled, even Blaise looked skeptical.

"Don't be ridiculous," Hermione said, Ron just shrugged.

"Doesn't matter," Harry put in, "I'm alright, just have to keep an eye open is all. Are we still going to the third floor tonight?"

The other three all nodded excitedly.

After dinner they went to the library as a group, waited an hour - fifteen minutes before curfew - and then went to the third floor. It was dark and smelt stale, like stagnent water and dust, Hermione sneezed only to be furiously shushed by Blaise and Ron.

"Okay," Hermione mumbled as they reached the door. She pulled her wand, her hand shaking lightly. "Alohamora."

The lock clicked, a bolt slid, the quartet pushed the door open and peered into the dark room.

Harry stepped forward, frowning, Hermione stepped forward to reach him and pull him back. Blaise and Ron shared a look at the boldness of the Gryffindor pair. Harry frowned, and lit his wand then they got to see the three headded dog.

It was twice as tall as them, looking down at the four of them with a snarl, drool dribbling from all three of its mouths. The room was empty but for a trap door in the floor, which Fluffy was standing on.

"Guys," Ron said from the doorframe, he stepped forwards, very slowly, the middle head sniffed the air and the snarling turned into growling, Ron grabbed both Harry and Hermiones' arms and yanked them back to the door as the dog started barking and snarling, lunging forwards. "Bloody hell." Ron said from the floor where he flopped over.

"Bloody hell," Blaise agreed, his back was to the door which he'd slammed shut as soon as they were free of the room.

"Why are they keeping that in a school?" Hermione demanded.

"Its gaurding a philosophers stone." Ron said, she looked at him shocked.

"How do you know that?" She asked, Ron shurgged.

"Wasn't hard to figure out." He shrugged again, Blaise was smirking.

Ron used his brother's map to check the coast was clear - careful to hide it from the others - he didn't want them to know, not yet. And the pairs spilt up to go to their common rooms. It was ten minutes after curfew and the common room was packed when they arrived, but very quiet.

"Weasley!" Snape barked, Ron jumped. "Where have you been?"

"Library," Ron mumbled, "Was with Harry working on the History of Magic essay sir."

Ron didn't think Snape believed him, but his head of house let it slide. For now.

"Follow me, Weasley." Snape snapped, Ron paled and followed his bat-like professor from the common room to the sound of Malfoy's laughter.

Snape's office was lined with jars of picked animal parts and plant material. Ron took a seat, did Snape know they'd been to the third floor already? What if he was expelled? His mother would lose her top.

"Madame Hooch spoke to me today, said you were an exceptional flier," Snape said, and Ron was put off by the topic - that had nothing to do with their illict shenanegans on the third floor.

"Sir?" Ron asked him. Snape rolled his eyes.

"Stay with me Weasley." He mocked, Ron felt his ears turning red.

"Er, I guess. I practice with my brothers somethimes, quiddich I mean." Ron said.

"Tell me what happened today?" Snape asked him, leaning back in his seat, Ron told him, including Granger's theory and his seeing Quirrel in the window. To his surprise Snape smiled at him - more a smirk really.

"Twenty points to Slytherin for your impecable insticts. And tomorrow night I want you to go to the pitch with Flint to see if you're good enough for the team."

Ron's jaw dropped - he was right? It was Quirrel? But their other suspect was Snape and Ron knew this would be an excellent way to remove suspicion from himself completely. He stared at his professor.

"Why would Professor Quirrel try to kill Harry?" Ron asked, Snape seemed annoyed by his quesioning Quirrels motives.

"Your friend stopped a Dark Lord, Weasley, there were two sides to that war." Snape reminded him, but that didn't match up. Professor Quirrel used to be the muggle studies professor - Percy took Muggle studies and often bragged about how alike he and professor Quirrel were - well before this year.

"What happened to him?" Ron asked next. "Why is he so nervous, he didn't used to be like that?" Ron couldn't read Snape's expresson, if he had to guess he thought Snape looked impressed by him.

"The current story is that he was frightend by a Vampire on his trip to Albania." Snape said.

"But now he teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Ron asked, now Snape definatley looked annoyed with him.

"Obviously, Weasley as he is your Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. It is past curfew and surely close to your bed time." Snape snapped, Ron's ears went red again. He didn't have a bed time.

Snape walked him back to the common room but Ron's mind was still reeling - either there was more to Professor Quirrel than meets the eye, or for some reason Snape wanted to kill Harry Potter.