A/N: Finally! The end of first year. Hopefully. This is by no means the end of the story. There will be several dozen more chapters. I still have to cover the summer, second year, and come up with what will happen in third year. I have a pretty good idea of where this story is going. Hopefully you like this chapter!
"Harry! Where are you going!" Hermione yelled after Harry as he ran back to the school from Hagrid's hut.
"To find out who Flamel is! It's April now. We have been working on this project for months. We actually have a lead." Harry yelled back over his shoulder.
"Could you at least slow down?" Tonks asked panting.
"Fine. It is kind of tiring running up that hill." Harry admitted.
"You think?" Neville said collapsing on the floor.
"Where exactly are we going?" Hermione asked.
"To the library. From what I remember of Flamel, he isn't exactly modern history which is why we haven't been able to find him in any of the books we looked in." Harry said.
Smirking, Hermione said, "I think o have the book we need." And she walked off to the Gryffindor common room. Harry, Neville and To is could no nothing but follow her. When they got to the portrait hole and into the common room, Hermione told them to wait while she went to get the book. When she came back down she said, "I checked this out months ago for a bit of light reading. I can't believe I never thought to look in here."
"Hermione, we need to redefine the definition of light. This book has to be at least 5 kilos." Harry said.
"Moving on. Here it is! Nicolas Flamel was the famed alchemist who is famous for his work with Albus Dumbledore and being the only known maker of the sorcerers stone; a stun stance that makes the elixir of life, and can turn any base metal into gold. Mr. Flamel just celebrated his 654th birthday and his wife, Pernell celebrated her 668th ." Hermione read from the book.
"That's what Fluffy is guarding! That's what Snape wants! But he wants it for Voldemort, not himself. I'm screwed guys." Harry said.
"Don't think like that! Snape still hasn't been able to figure out how to get past Fluffy." Tonks said. Refusing to think that Harry might die.
"Yeah, but it's Quirrels resilience that's keeping the stone safe. As long as he doesn't tell Snape anything, the stone is safe." Harry said woefully.
"Wow. You really are screwed." Neville said. No one could contradict him, as they all knew he was right.
Over the next few weeks, the quartet were very on edge; as if expecting an attack at any minute. All of them would jump at the smallest noise and found it hard to concentrate in class. Their teachers had noticed the decline in the quality of their work, but figured it was due to stress. By June, they were all in the verge of a mental breach down.
"I don't think I can handle this." Hermione said nearly in tears one night.
"The exams or the whole Voldemort thing?" Harry asked.
"The v-v-Voldemort thing. The exams are over. Now the only thing to do is wait." Hermione replied. She was crying now.
"Shh. How about we go for a walk. That should calm you down. That's what I do when I get stressed." Neville said in an attempt to calm her down.
"That sounds like a great idea Neville." Harry said getting out of his chair. Tonks followed suit.
"O-o-Okay. That sounds g-great." Hermione said wiping away her tears.
"Onwards brave men; and women." Harry said leading the way to the portrait hole.
Harry, Hermione, Neville and Tonks were just aimlessly walking around when Harry stopped short.
"Do you guys hear that? It sounds like… music?" Harry said confused.
"Yeah. I hear it. It's coming from over there." Tonks said gesturing towards a door.
"You guys up for an investigation?" Harry asked his friends.
"Why not. It might just be some kid practicing the harp." Neville said. Hermione just nodded. When they got inside the door, it locked behind them. Feeling a bit suspicious, they proceeded with caution. When they got to the end of the hallway and the music had gotten louder, they slowly opened the door. They had come across Fluffy!
"What do we do now?" Hermione asked frightened.
"We go on. The door put already locked we have no choice but to keep moving forward." Harry said solemnly. The quartet slowly made their way to Fluffy as not to awaken him and discovers a trap door. The trap door was unlocked, so they slowly opened it and found nothing but black for what seemed like miles.
"Now what?" Tonks asked annoyed. No one was going to make her jump in. She had no idea what was at the bottom and didn't plan to go jumping into an unknown substance that could possibly kill her.
"We lower ourselves down." Harry said annoyed that they didn't think of the obvious.
"We don't have a rope." Neville pointes out.
"We're wizards! We can make a rope!" Harry whispered yelled.
"We don't know enough magic to do that!" Neville retorted.
"You might not, but I do." and as if to prove his point, Harry conjured a 10 meter long rope and anchored it to a hook in the floor that was most likely used to tether Fluffy down.
"You guys coming?" Harry asked lowering himself into the pit.
"Bottoms up." Tonks said before lowering herself in after Harry.
Sighing, Neville followed soon after and Hermione after him.
After about five minutes of lowering themselves, Harry felt something soft and squishy.
"Any idea what that is?" Harry said standing on the squishy stuff to allow the others to climb off the rope too.
"No. But I think it might be here to prevent someone who jumps from falling to their death." Tonks suggested.
"Or maybe it's here to kill anyone who comes down here! Look it's strangling you guys!" Hermione shrieked. Upon hearing this, Harry and Tonks struggles like mad to try and get the vines off them.
"Stop struggling! It will only kill you faster. This is devils snare." Neville said.
"Any ideas on how to get it off of us Eisenstein?" Harry yelled.
"Devils Snare, Devils Snare, is deadly fun, but will sulk in the sun! We need fire!" Neville yelled at no one in particular.
"On it." Almost immediately Harry's hand was engulfed in flame and the Davila snare was making a hasty retreat; and Harry was able to free his friends and escape the deadly plant. Once they got out of the plat, they ran as fast as they could down the hallway the seemed to connect to the plant chamber. They were about halfway down the passage when they saw light. Seeing this made them uneasy; but never the less, they continued. The light seemed to be coming behind a door. It was unlocked.
"Do you think we should go through?" Hermione asked. "Or find another way around."
"Go through. It seem to the most direct way out." Tonks said. Neville nodded, Hermione looked uneasy but also agreed, and Harry opened the door. Through the door was a magnificent room with cathedral ceilings and what seemed like thousands of tropical birds. But upon closer investigation, they discovered that they were intact keys!
"Why are there keys flying here?" Neville asked.
"Maybe we have to unlock that door." Harry said pointing to the door across the room.
"How do we know which one goes with it?" Neville asked. Harry walked across the room to look at the lock. It was silver and rusted and most definitely locked. Magic was NOT going to open it.
"Look for one that is silver and old. Maybe a bit rusted." Harry called back to his friends.
"Like that one?" Tonks asked pointing 10 feet above her.
"That's the one." Harry summoned the key to his hand. It looked crumpled; almost as if someone had shoved it roughly into the key hole.
"Look at this! Do you think these are enchantments guarding the stone?" Harry asked.
"I think so. That would explain a lot." Tonks said.
"Do you think Snape already has it?" Hermione asked fearfully.
"Only one way to find out." Harry put the key-bird thing into the lock hole and turned it this unlocking the door. "Ready?" he asked stepping into what ever lay before them.
10 minutes later
"Everyone okay?" Harry asked.
"I don't think I can go on." Neville said limping across the floor.
"I'll stay with him." Tonks said.
"Why?" Hermione asked.
"To make sure he is okay. I know the most first aid out of all of us, and I don't fancy continuing either." Tonks said.
"Okay. Good luck." Harry said walking into the next chamber closely followed by Hermione.
"It's a riddle!" Hermione gasped.
"Do you know how to solve it?" Harry asked.
"Yes. Give me the riddle." Harry complied and gave Hermione the riddle. After about 5 minutes, she gave Harry one of the vials.
"What will this do?" Harry asked.
"It will take you to the other side of the door without any traps springing. The one I'm going to drink will take me back to the other room." Hermione said.
"Good luck Hermione." Harry said drink his potion and walking across the room to what ever horrors are beyond.
"Good luck Harry." Hermione said going back to her friends.
When Harry got to the other side of the room to the next chamber, it wasn't Snape that awaited him; it was Professor Quirell!
"You! What are you doing here!" Harry yelled.
"I'm here to get the stone and bring it to my master." Quirell replied menacingly.
"No. Snape want s the stone for Voldemort! Not you!" Harry said confused.
"Yes Severus does seem the type; always wearing black, hating everybody, swooping around like an overgrown bat… But it was me. Now how does this mirror work?" Quirell asked getting frustrated. Harry for the first time saw that there was a mirror in the room; but not just any mirror, the Mirror of Erised!
"Use the boy!" said a raspy voice that seemed to be coming from Quirell's turban.
"Potter! Come here!" Quirell yelled. "Stand there. What do you see?"
The mirror was showing Harry with the stone. His mirror self dropped it into his mirror pocket, but oddly enough, Harry felt a sudden wait in his pocket. He didn't dare check to see though and made up something random about what he saw.
"I see myself, with my family around me. Hugging me. They love me!" Harry said.
"He lies!" The same raspy voice said. "Let me talk to him."
"You are too weak master! You don't have enough strength!" Quirell protested.
"Oh have strength for this." The voice said. Quirell started to slowly unwrap his turban; when he was done unwrapping it, he turned around and the face of Voldemort was facing Harry.
"See what you made me become Potter! A mere parasite, living off another." Voldemort said.
"You said I made you become… what ever you are? Don't you mean Daniel made you become that?" Harry asked confused.
"No! That useless waste of space could never do this to me. I tried to kill you that night; unfortunately, the curse rebounded onto me due to the power of love or some other shit. I was forced to go into hiding. Now, give me the stone that is in your pocket and I shall reward you." Voldemort said.
"Yeah by killing me faster. Only a psychopath should believe you." Harry said.
"Kill him!" Voldemort commanded Quirell. Quirell came running towards him and tried to strangle Harry, but as soon as his hands touched Harry, they turned to dust.
"Cool I can turn people to dust by touching them." Harry thought while looking at his hands. With the knowledge of his new power, Harry ran directly at Quirell and grabbed him around the neck. Quirell's neck and body were slowly turning to dust and as the seconds dragged on, Harry was become increasingly tired. By the time Quirell was a pile of ash Harry was about to pass out.
"I'll kill you one day Potter!" Voldemort shrieked as his "ghost" came out of Quirell's ashes and passed through Harry. After that, Harry did pass out and the whole world went black as he hit the floor.
Potter Manor
Claire was growing weaker by the day. She wasn't sure wether she would make to the end of the week. She hoped Harry had gotten her letter and would be able to help her. For now, all she could do was wait. She could no longer do magic. She was incapable of doing even accidental magic. Her one escape from the hell she was in was cut off. She could only wait. She was used to waiting. That was all she did. Wait for food. Wait for pain. Wait for nightmares. She could wait. She had to.
A/N: There it is! The whole through the trap door scene. The next chapter will be about what happens when Harry is in the hospital wing. Warning! The next chapter will be incredibly dark. As will the chapters that follow. If that is not your thing then stop at this chapter. Until next time!
-Sheltie1267