It's been hot these past couple of days. It was worse because we've been taking the exams. But they were finally over. It wasn't too hard. I did good, I guess you could say. But Hermione was really confident when we went to our classes to take the exams. I'm pretty sure she got a good grade. Harry's scar has been hurting all week. After what happen in the forest, it's been hurting him.
"That was far easier than I thought it would be." Hermione said as I joined them in the crowds flocking out onto the sunny grounds.
"I needn't have learned about the 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct or the uprising of Elfic the Eager." She said. I shake my head.
"I'm just glad it's over. It's been way too hot to even move." I said wiping the sweat off my forehead. We headed down to the lake and I lay down on the grass, while they flopped under a tee. The Weasley twins and Lee Jordan were tickling the tentacles of a giant squid, which was basking in the warm shallows.
"No more studying," Ron said happily. I sit up and put my hair in a ponytail, but since my hair was to my shoulders, some strands fell out. I lay back down.
"You could look more cheerful, Harry, we've got a week before we find out how badly we've done, there's no need to worry yet." Ron said. I look up at him.
"Are you mad, there is so much to worry about." I said. I look back to Fred and George and the squid slaps Lee Jordan on the face. I chuckle.
"I wish I knew what this means!" Harry burst out angrily.
"My scar keeps hurting - it's happened before, but never as often as this." Harry said.
"Go to Madam Pomfrey." Hermione suggested.
"I'm not ill. I think it's warning...it means danger's coming..."Harry said.
"Harry, relax," Ron said.
"Hermione's right, the Stone's safe as long as Dumbledore's around. Anyways, we've never had any proof Snape found out how to get past Fluffy. He nearly had his leg ripped off once, he's not going to try it again in a hurry. And Neville will play Quidditch for England before Hagrid lets Dumbledore down." Ron said. Harry nodded. Milly came flying towards me. I put my hand up and take the letter from her and she flys off. I sat up. I open the letter since it didn't have any notification on who sent it.
'To live will be an awfully big adventure.' It read. I looked at it confused. Who -.
"Where are you going?" I hear Ron ask from behind sleepily. I look behind and see Harry on his feet.
"I just thought of something, we've got to go and see Hagrid." Harry said. He had turned white. He started running up the hill. I put the note in my pocket. I get up and follow him.
"Why?" Hermione asked panting, trying to keep up with us.
"Don't you think it's a bit odd," Harry said, scrambling up the grassy slope.
"That what Hagrid wants more than anything else is a dragon, and a stranger turns up who just happens to have an egg in his pocket? How many people wander around with dragon eggs if it's against wizard law? Lucky they found Hagrid, don't you think? Why didn't I see it before?" Harry asked.
"What are you talking about?" I asked. But Harry, who was sprinting across the grounds towards the forest, didn't answer me. Hagrid was sitting in an armchair outside his house; his trousers and sleeves were rolled up, and he was shelling peas into a large bowl.
"Hullo," Hagrid said smiling.
"Finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?" Hagrid asked.
"Yes, please-" Harry cuts Ron off.
"No, we're in a hurry. Hagrid, I've got to ask you something. You know that night you won Norbert? What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?" Harry asked.
"Dunno," Hagrid said casually.
"He wouldn' take his cloak off." He said. I look at Harry stunned. He had the same look.
"It's not unusual, yeh get a lot o' funny folk in the Hog's Head - that's the pub down in the village. Mighta bin a dragon dealer, mightn' he? I never saw his face, he kept his hood up." Hagrid said. Harry sank down next to the bowl of peas.
"What did you talk to him about, Hagrid? Did you mention Hogwarts at all?" Harry asked.
"Mighta come up," Hagrid said, frowning as he tried to remember.
"Yeah... he asked what I did, an' I told him I was gamekeeper here... He asked a bit about the sorta creatures I look after... so I told him... an' I said what I'd always really wanted was a dragon... an' then... I can' remember too well, 'cause he kept buyin' me drinks... Let's see... Yeah, then he said he had the dragon egg an' we could play cards fer it if I wanted... but he had ter be sure I could handle it, he didn' want it ter go ter any old home... So I told him, after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy..."
"And did he - did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Harry asked, trying to keep his voice calm.
"Well - yeah - how many three-headed dogs d'yeh meet, even around Hogwarts? So I told him, Fluffy's a piece o' cake if yeh know how to calm him down, jus' play him a bit o' music an' he'll go straight off ter sleep -" Hagrid suddenly looked horrified.
"I shouldn'ta told yeh that!" He blurted out.
"Forget I said it!" He said. Harry got up and we all started running back to the castle.
"Hey - where're yeh goin'?" We didn't speak to each other at all until we came to a halt in the entrance all, which seemed very cold and gloomy after the grounds.
"We've got to go to Dumbledore," Harry said.
"Hagrid told that stranger how to get past Fluffy, and it was either Snape or Voldemort under that cloak - it must've been easy, once he'd got Hagrid drunk. I just hope Dumbledore believes us. Firenze might back us up if Bane doesn't stop him. Where's Dumbledore's office?" Harry asked. We looked around, as if hoping to see a sign pointing us in the right direction. We had never been told where Dumbledore lived, nor did we know anyone who had been sent to see him.
"We'll just have to -" Harry began, but a voice suddenly rang across the hall.
"What are you four doing inside?" It was Professor McGonagall, she was carrying a large pile of books.
"We want to see Professor Dumbledore." I said rather bravely.
"See Professor Dumbledore?" Professor McGonagall repeated, as though this was a very fishy thing to want to do.
"Why?" She asked.
"It's sort of secret." Harry said. Professor McGonagall nostrils flared.
"Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago," She said coldly.
"He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once." She said. I look at her broodling.
"He's gone?" Harry said frantically.
"Now?"
"Professor Dumbledore is a very great wizard, Potter, he has many demands on his time -"
"But this is important."
"Something you have to say is more important than the Ministry of Magic, Potter?" She asked.
"Yes!" I said. I think for a second. Yes?
"Yes, yes, actually it is." I said. Professor McGonagall looked at me surprised.
"Look," Harry spoke.
"Professor - it's about the Sorcerer's Stone -" The books she was carrying tumbled out of her arms, but she didn't pick them up.
"How do you know -?" She pluttered.
"Professor, I think - I know - that Sn - that someone's going to try and steal the Stone, I've got to talk to Professor Dumbledore." Harry said. She eyed him with a mixture of shock and suspicion.
"Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow," She finally said.
"I don't know how you found out about the Stone, but rest assured, no one can possibly steal it, it's too well protected." She said.
"But Professor -"
"Potter, I know what I'm talking about," She bent down and gathered up the fallen books.
"I suggest you all go back outside and enjoy the sunshine." She said. She walked off.
"It's tonight," Harry said, once Professor McGonagall was out of earshot.
"Snape's going through the trapdoor tonight. He's found out everything he needs and now he's got Dumbledore out of the way. He sent that note, I bet the Ministry of Magic will get a real shock when Dumbledore turns up." Harry said.
"But what can we -" I was cut off by Hermione gasping. Harry, Ron and I wheeled round. Snape was standing there.
"Good afternoon," He said smoothly. We stared at him.
"You shouldn't be inside on a day like this." He said, with an odd, twisted smile.
"We were -" Harry began.
"You want to be more careful, hanging around like this, people will think you're up to something. And Gryffindor really can't afford to lose any more points, can it?" Snape said. We turn to go outside, but Snape called us back.
"Be warned, Potter - anymore nighttime wanderings and I will personally make sure you are expelled. Good day to you." Snape said. He strode off in the direction of the staffroom. Out on the stone steps, Harry turned to us.
"Right, here's what we've got to do," Harry whispered urgently.
"One of us has got to keep an eye on Snape - wait outside the staff room and follow him if heaves it. Hermione you'd better do that." Harry said.
"Why me?" She asked.
"It's obvious," Ron said.
"You can pretend to be waiting for Professor Flitwick, you know." He put on a high voice.
"'Oh Professor Flitwick, I'm so worried, I think I got questions fourteen b wrong." Ron said. I chuckled.
"Oh, shut up." Hermione said, but she agreed to go and watch out for Snape.
"And we'd better stay outside the third-floor corridor." I told Ron and Harry. But that part of the plan didn't work. No sooner had we reached the door separating Fluffy from the rest of the school than Professor McGonagall turned up again and this time, she lost her temper.
"I suppose you think you're harder to get past than a pack of enchantments!" She stormed.
"Enough of this nonsense! If I hear you've come anywhere near here again, I'll take fifty points from each of you! Yes, Weasley, from my own house!" She yelled. We all went back to the Gryffindor common room.
"A least Hermione's on Snape's tail." Harry said. The portrait of the Fat Lady swung open and Hermione came in.
"I'm sorry, Harry!" She wailed.
"Snape came out and asked what I was doing, so I said I was waiting for Flitwick, and Snape went to get him, and I've only just got away, I don't know where Snape went." Hermione said.
"Well, that's it then, isn't it?" Harry said. We stare at him. He was pale and his eyes were glittering. Oh, Harry.
"I'm going out of here tonight and I'm going to try and get to the Stone first." Harry said. I look at the ground.
"You're mad!" Ron said.
"You can't" Hermione said.
"After what McGonagall said? You'll be expelled!" Hermione said.
"So what?" Harry shouted.
"Don't you understand? If Snape gets hold of the Stone, Voldemort's coming back! Haven't you heard what it was like when he was trying to take over? There won't be any Hogwarts to get expelled from! He'll flatten it, or turn it into a school for the Dark Arts! Losing points doesn't matter anymore, can't you see? D'you think he'll leave you and your families alone if Gryffindor wins the house cup? If I get caught before I can get the Stone, well, I'll have to go back to the Dursleys and wait for Voldemort to find me there, it's only dying a bit later than I would have, because I'm never going over to the Dark Side! I'm going through that trapdoor tonight and nothing the three of you say is going to stop me! Voldemort killed my parents, remember?" Harry said. I looked up at him and he was glaring at us.
"You're right, Harry." Hermione said in small voice.
"I'll use the invisibility cloak. It's just lucky I got it back." Harry said.
"But will it cover the four of us?" I asked, smiling at him. He looked taken back.
"All - all four of us?" He asked.
"Oh, come off it, you don't think we'd let you go alone?" Ron asked.
"Of course not," Hermione said briskly.
"How do you think you'd get to the Stone without us? I'd better go and look through my books, there might be something useful." Hermione said.
"But if we get caught, you three will be expelled, too." Harry said.
"Not if I can help it," Hermione said grimly.
"Flitwick told me in secret that I got a hundred and twelve percent on his exam. They're not throwing me out after that." Hermione said. I smile and shake my head.
After dinner the four of us sat nervously apart in the Gryffindor common room. Nobody bothered us. Except Percy he told me to go back to my common room. I leave the common room and wait outside the portrait for someone to let me back in. After a while of waiting Ron finally let me in. Harry came running down the stairs.
"We'd better put the cloak on here, and make sure it covers all four of us - if Filch spots one of our feet wandering along on its own -"
"What are you doing?" Asked a voice from the corner of the room. Neville appeared from behind an armchair, clutching Trevor the toad, who looked as though he's been making another bid for freedom.
"Nothing, Neville, nothing." Harry said, hurriedly putting the cloak behind his back. Neville stared at us.
"You're going out again." He said.
"No, no, no, no, we're not. Why don't you go to bed, Neville?" Hermione asked.
"You can't go out, you'll be caught again. Gryffindor will be in ever more trouble." Neville said.
"You don't understand, this is important." I said. But Neville was clearly steeling himself to do something desperate.
"I won't let you do it," He said, hurrying to stand in front of the portrait hole.
"I'll - I'll fight you!" He said. I shake my head.
"Neville," I exploded.
"Get away from that hole and don't be an idiot -"
"Don't call me an idiot!" Neville said.
"I don't think you should be breaking any more rules! And you were the one who told me to stand up to people!" Neville said. I sigh.
"Yes, but not to us," I said in exasperation.
"Neville, you don't know what you're doing." I said. I took a step forward and Neville dropped Trevor the toad, who leapt out of sight.
"Go on then, try and hit me!" Neville said, raising his fists.
"You're just like, Malfoy." He said. I scoffed.
"I am nothing like Malfoy." I said. Hermione stepped forward.
"Neville, I'm really, really sorry about this." She raised her wand.
"Petrificus Totalus!" She cried, pointing at Neville. Neville's arms snapped to his sides. His legs sprang together. His whole body rigid, he swayed where he stood and then fell flat on his face, stiff as a board. Hermione ran to turn him over. Neville's jaws were jammed together so he couldn't speak. Only his eye were moving, looking at us in horror.
"What've you done to him?" Harry whispered.
"It's a full Body-Bind," Hermione said miserably.
"Oh, Neville, I'm so sorry." She said.
"We had to, Neville, no time to explain." Harry said.
"You'll understand later, Neville." Ron said.
"That was a very hurtful insult." I said as we stepped over him and pulled on the invisibility cloak. But leaving Neville lying motionless on the floor didn't feel like a very good omen. In our nervous state, every statue's shadow looked like Filch, every distant breath of wind sounded like Peeves swooping down on us. At the foot of the first set of stairs, we spotted Mrs. Norris skulking near the top.
"Oh let's kick her, just this once." Ron whispered in Harry's ear, but Harry shook his head. I was between them so I heard what he said. As we climbed carefully around her, Mrs. Norris turned her lamplike eyes on us, but didn't do anything. We didn't meet anyone else until we reached the staircase up the third floor. Peeves was bobbing halfway up, loosening the carpet so that people would trip.
"Who's there?" He said suddenly as we climbed towards him. He narrowed his wicked black eyes.
"Know you're there, even if I can't see you. Are you ghoulie or ghostie or wee student beastie?" He said. He rose up in the air and floated there, squinting at us.
"Should call Filch, I should, if something's a-creeping around unseen." I suddenly have an idea. I smirk.
"Peeves," I said, in a hoarse whisper.
"The Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible." Peeves almost fell out of the air in shock. He caught himself in time and hovered about a foot off the stairs. I cover my mouth so I wouldn't laugh.
"So, sorry, your bloodiness, Mr. Baron, sir," He said greasily.
"My mistake, my mistake - I didn't see you - of course I didn't, you're invisible - forgive old Peevsie his little joke, sir." He said.
"I have business here, Peeves," I croaked.
"Stay away from this place tonight."
"I will, sir, I most certainly will," peeves said, rising up in the air again.
"Hope your business goes well, baron, I'll not bother you." He said and he scooted off.
"Brilliant, Nia!" Harry whispered. A few seconds later, we were there, outside the third-floor corridor - and it was already ajar.
"Well, there you are," Harry said quietly.
"Snape's already got past Fluffy." He said. Underneath the cloak, Harry turn to us.
"If you want to go back, I won't blame you," He said.
"You can take the cloak, I won't need it now." Harry said. I shake my head.
"No way."
"Don't be stupid." Ron said.
"We're coming." Hermione said. Harry pushed the door open. As the door creaked, low, rumbling met our ears. All three of the dog's noses sniffed madly in our direction, even though it couldn't see us.
"What's that at its feet?" Hermione whispered.
"Looks like a harp," Ron said.
"Snape must have left it there." He said.
"It must wake up the moment you stop playing," Harry said.
"Well, here goes..." Harry put Hagrid's flute to his lips and blew. It wasn't really a tune, but from the first note the beast's eye began to droop. Harry hardly drew breath. Slowly, the do'g growls ceased - it tottered on its paws and fell to it's knees, then slumped to the ground, fast asleep.
"Keep playing," I warn Harry as we slipped out of the cloak and crapt towards the trapdoor. I could feel the dog's hot, smelly breath as we approached the giant heads.
"I think we'll be able to pull the door open," Ron said peering over the dog's back.
"Want to go first, Hermione?"
"No, I don't!"
"Nia?"
"Ron, just do it." I said.
"All right." Ron gritted his teeth and stepped carefully over the dog's legs. He bent down and pulled the ring of the trapdoor, which swung up and open.
"What can you see?" Hermione said anxiously.
"Nothing - just black - there's no way of climbing down, we'll just have to drop." Ron said. Harry, who was still playing the flute, waved at Ron to get his attention and pointed at himself.
"You want to go first? Are you sure? I don't know how deep this thing goes. Give the flute to Hermione so she can keep him asleep." Ron said. Harry handed the flute to Hermione. In a few seconds' silence, the dog growled and twitched, but the moment Hermione began to play, it fell back into its deep sleep. Harry climbed over it and looked down through the trapdoor. He lowered himself through the hole until he was hanging on by his fingertips.
"If anything happens to me, don't follow. Go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, right?' He said.
"Right." Ron said.
"See you in a minute, I hope." Harry said. He lets go. I step over the dog's legs and look down the trapdoor. We waited a few second, when Harry finally spoke.
"It's okay!" He shouted. Ron and I look at each other in relief.
"It's a soft landing, you can jump!" Harry shouted.
"Nia." Ron said holding his hand out, suggesting I go first. I roll my eyes and shake my head. Instead of climbing in, I jump into the hole. Cold, damp air rushed past me as I fell down and with a funny, muffled sort of thump I landed on something soft. I felt around since I really couldn't see.
"What is this?" I asked.
"Dunno," Harry said. I moved toward his voice.
"Some sort of plant thing. I suppose it's here to break the fall. Come on, Ron!" Harry shouted. Ron followed right away. He landed, sprawled next to me.
"What's this stuff?" Ron asked.
"Some sort of plant thing." I said. I felt something touch my foot. I jumped and stood up.
"Hermione your turn!" Harry shouted. The distant music stopped. There was a loud bark from the dog. I pulled myself to a wall.
"We must be miles under the school," I hear Hermione say. I look over at them and see the plant had Harry and Ron's legs
"The plant!" I shouted. They looked at themselves. Hermione leapt up and came over to me. She had to struggle because the moment she had landed, the plant had started to twist snakelike tendrils around her ankle. We watch in horror as the boys fought to pull the plant off them, but the more they strained against it, the tighter and faster the plant wound around them.
"Stop moving!" Hermione ordered them.
"I know what this is - it's Devil's Snare!" She said.
"Oh, I'm so glad we know what it's called, that's a great help." Ron snarled, leaning back, trying to stop the plant from curling around his neck.
"Shut up, I'm trying to remember how to kill it!" Hermione said..
"Well, hurry up, I can't breathe!" Harry gasped, wrestling with it as it curled around his chest.
"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare... what did Professor Sprout say? - it likes the dark and the damp -"
"So light a fire!" Harry choked.
"Yes - of course - but there's no wood!" Hermione cried, wringing her hands.
"My god, Hermione, are you a witch or not?" I asked.
"Oh right!" She said. She whipped her wand out, waved it and muttered the fire charm. In a matter of seconds, the plant loosened its grip as it cringed away from the light and warmth. Wriggling and flailing, it unraveled itself from their bodies, and they were able to pull themselves free.
"Lucky you pay attention in Herbology, Hermione." Harry said as he joined us by the wall, wiping sweat off his face.
"Yeah," Ron said.
"And lucky Harry doesn't lose his head in a crisis - 'there's no wood,' honestly." Ron said. I shake my head. All we could hear apart from our footsteps was the gentle drip of water trickling down the walls. The passageway sloped downward.
"Can you hear something?" Ron whispered. I listened carefully. A soft rustling and clicking seemed to be coming from up ahead. What is that?
"Do you think it's a ghost?" I asked.
"I don't know... sounds like wings to me." Harry said.
"There's a light ahead - I can see something moving." Hermione said. We reached the end of the passageway and saw before us a brilliantly lit chamber, it's ceiling arching high above us. It was full of small, jewel-bright birds, fluttering and tumbling all around the room. On the opposite side of the chamber was a heavy wooden door.
"Do you think they'll attack up if we cross the room?" Ron asked.
"Probably," Harry said.
"They don't look very vicious, but I suppose if they all swooped down at once... well, there's no other choice... I'll run." Harry said. He took a deep breath, covered his face with his arms and sprinted across the room. I expected the birds to swoop down and start peeking at Harry but nothing happened. We follow Harry to the door. We tugged on the door. It was locked. Hermione tried her Alohomora charm but it didn't work.
"Now what?" Ron asked.
"These birds... they can't be here just for decoration," Hermione said. We watched the birds soaring overhead, glittering. Wait, why are they glittering?
"They're not birds!" Harry said suddenly.
"They're keys! Winged keys - look carefully." I looked up and squinted my eyes. They are keys! I looked at them in amazement.
"So that must mean..." Harry said.
"... Yes - look! - Broomsticks! We've got to catch the key to the door!" Harry said.
"But there are hundreds of them!" Hermione said. Ron turned around and examined the lock on the door.
"We're looking for a big, old-fashioned one - probably silver, like the handle." Ron said. I turn around too. It wouldn't hurt to try. I took out a hair pin from my hair and bend it. I kneel down and start to pick the lock.
"What are you doing?" Ron asked me.
"Trying to see if this will work." I said, fiddling with the hair pin and lock.
"Do you even know how to pick a lock?" Hermione asked me. I stop and look at her.
"Not exactly." I said.
"Well, while you're doing that, we're going to try and catch the key." Harry said. I nodded and get back to trying to open the door. After fiddling with it, I finally give up. I put the pin in my pocket and turn around to see Ron and Hermione cheering. Harry had gotten the key. They landed quickly and Harry ran to the door, the key struggling in his hand. He rammed it into the lock and turned - it worked. The moment the lock had clicked open, the key took flight again, looking very battered now that it had been caught twice.
"Ready?" Harry asked us, with his hand on the door handle. We nodded. He pulled the door open. The next chamber was so dark we couldn't see anything at all. But as we stepped into it, lights suddenly flooded the room to reveal an astonishing sight. We were standing on the edge of a huge chessboard, behind the black chessman, which were all taller than we were and carved from what looked like black stone. Facing us, way across the chamber, were the white chessman that had no faces.
"Now what do we do?" Harry whispered.
"It's obvious, isn't it?" Ron said.
"We've got to play our way across the room." he said Behind the white pieces we could see another door.
"How?" Hermione asked nervously.
"I think we're going to have to be chessmen." Ron said. He walked up to a black knight and put his hand out to touch the knight's horse. At once the stone sprang to life. The horse pawed the ground and the knight turned his helmeted to look down at Ron
"Do we - er - have to join you to get across?" Ron asked it. The black knight nodded, Ron turned to us.
"This needs thinking about..." He said.
"I suppose we've got to take the place of four of the black pieces..." We stayed quiet, watching Ron think.
"Now, don't be offended or anything, but neither of you are that good at chess -"
"I never even played." I said.
"We're not offended," Harry said quickly.
"Just tell us what to do."
"Well, Harry, you take the place of that bishop, Hermione you take the place of that castle, Nia you be the queen." Ron said. The chessmen seemed to have been listening, because at these words a knight, a bishop, a castle and a queen turned their backs on the white pieces and walked off the board, leaving three empty squares that me, Harry, Ron and Hermione took.
"White always plays first in chess," Ron said, peering across the board.
"Yes... look..." A white pawn had moved forward two squares. Ron started to direct the black pieces. They moved silently wherever he sent them. I don't understand any of this. Our first real shock came when our other knight was taken. The white queen smashes him to the floor and dragged him off the board, where he lay quite still, facedown. Every time one of our men was lost, the white pieces showed no mercy. Soon there was huddle of limp black players slumped along the wall.
"We're nearly there," Ron muttered suddenly.
"Let me think - let me think..." The white queen turned her blank face toward him.
"Yes..." Ron said softly.
"It's the only way... I've got to be taken."
"No!" All three of us shouted.
"That's chess!" Ron snapped.
"You've got to make some sacrifices! I take one step forward and she'll take me - that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!" Ron said.
"But -"
"Do you want to stop Snape or not?" Ron asked.
"Ron -"
"Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone!" Ron said. There's no alternative. I sighed.
"Ready?" Ron called, his face was pale but determined.
"Here I go - now, don't hang around once you've won." He said. He stepped forward and the white queen pounced. She struck Ron across the head with her stone arm. I turn away and cover my eyes. I hear Hermione scream. I look back and see the queen dragging Ron to one side. He looked as if he's been knocked out. Shaking, Harry moved three spaces to the left. The white king took off his crown and threw it at Harry's feet. We had won. The chessmen parted and bowed, leaving the door ahead clear. With one last desperate look back at Ron, me, Harry and Hermione charged through the door and up the next passageway.
"What if he's -?"
"He'll be all right," Harry said cutting Hermione off. Oh, I feel terrible about leaving Ron there.
"What do you reckon's next?" Harry asked.
"We've had Sprouts, that was the Devil's Snare; Flitwick must've put charms on the keys; McGonagall transfigured the chessmen to make them alive; that leaves Quirrell's spell, and Snape's..." I said. We had reached another door.
"All right?" Harry whispered.
"Go on." Hermione said to Harry. Harry pushed open the door. A disgusting smell filled our nostrils, making the three of us pull our shirts up over our noses. Eyes watering, we saw, flat on the floor in front of us, a troll even larger than the one we had tackled, out cold with a bloody lump on it's head.
"I'm glad we didn't have to fight that one," Harry whispered as we stepped carefully over one of it's massive legs.
"Come on, I can't breathe." Harry said. He pulled open the next door, there was nothing very frightening in here. I thought Snape would have something scary in here, but there was just a table with seven differently shaped bottles standing on it in a line.
"Snape's. What do we have to do?" Harry asked. We stepped over the threshold and immediately a fire sprang up behind us in the doorway. It wasn't ordinary fire either; it was purple. At the same instant, black flames shoot up in the doorway leading onward. We were trapped.
"Look!" Hermione seized a roll of paper lying next to the bottles. Harry and I looked over her shoulder to read it:
Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,
Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,
One among us seven will let you move ahead,
Another will transport the drinker back instead,
Two among our number hold only nettle wine,
Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line,
Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,
To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:
First, however slyly the potion tries to hide
You will always find some on mettle win's left side;
Second, different are those who stand at either end,
But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;
Third, as you see clearly, all are different in their insides;
Fourth, the second left and the second on the right
Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight.
I let out a great sigh in annoyance, Harry looked amazed at Hermione, I saw that she was smiling. I shake my head. Only she can riddle this out.
"Brilliant," Hermione said.
"This isn't magic - it's logic- a puzzle." I'm not very good with puzzles.
"A lot of great wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever." Hermione said shaking her head.
"But so will we, won't we?" Harry asked.
"Of course not," Hermione said.
"Everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the purple." Hermione said.
"But how do we know which to drink?" I asked.
"Give me a minute."
I'm almost done! It took me 7 weeks to get year 1 out of the way. Please ask me questions. I'll answer them here every time I update! ~ Poppy