This chapter is a bit longer again, hope you like it!

REWRITTEN


Ch. 11 Nicholas Flamel

POV CLAIRE GIBBS:

We had told Harry, Ron and Hermione what we found out.

"See?" said Hermione. "It must be the Sorcerer's Stone!"

"A stone that makes gold and stops you from dying!" said Harry. "No wonder Snape's after it, anyone would want it."

"Anyone?" Janice asked. "He's willing to risk a lot for it. He nearly got his leg bitten off last time. Besides, money doesn't buy happiness and if you live forever, don't all of your loved ones die at some point?"

I rolled my eyes at her naïve comments. Surely, she had a point but she had to realize not everyone would see it like that.

The next morning in Defence Against the Dark Arts, while copying down different ways of treating werewolf bites, the Gryffindors and Janice were discussing what they'd do with the Sorcerer's Stone if they had one. It wasn't until Ron said he'd buy his own Quidditch team Harry stopped dead.

I just wanted them to shut up and focus and what was really important.

"I'm going to play," he told them.

"Why wouldn't you?" Bella asked.

"Snape is refereeing," Hermione said.

"Snape's refereeing?" Bella hissed. "That git just wants Gryffindor to lose more points!"

"You've just got to make sure you play a clean game, so Snape hasn't got an excuse to pick on you," Janice smiled.

"As if that would solve anything! We won't have a fair chance of winning, not if we might overtake Slytherin! He will find reasons to punish us, he always does!" Bella mocked.

"Don't play," said Hermione at once.

I knew she had other reasons for not wanting Harry near Snape while they were playing Quidditch… Surely this could be discussed after class, though.

"Say you're ill," said Ron.

Shut up, I thought.

"Pretend to break your leg," Hermione suggested.

"Really break your leg," said Ron.

"I can't," said Harry. "There isn't a reserve Seeker. If I back out, Gryffindor can't play at all. I'm going to play," he told them. "If I don't, all the Slytherins will think I'm just too scared to face Snape. I'll show them.. it'll really wipe the smiles of their faces if we win."

"As long as we're not wiping you off the field," Hermione warned him.

"Will you shut it? Nobody actually cares," I hissed.

I got five cold glares, even from Janice. When class was over I shoved my books in my bag and went straight to the library, with my noise in the air. Janice and Bella had caught up with me, however.

"You didn't mean that, did you?" asked Janice.

"Of course she did! She's clever enough to know what she's saying," Bella spat.

"I was trying to listen to professor Quirrell," I defended myself.

"Is your friend's safety really less important to you than a stupid lesson?" Bella said hotly.

"She's probably just moody, and I bet she didn't mean it. That's right, isn't it, Claire?" Janice asked.

My gaze hardened. I wasn't going to lie.

"Like Bella said, I'm clever enough to know what I'm saying."

I turned around and took a couple of books with me to the common room. The whole table was covered under my notes and memo's in different colours. Cedric had showed me a really clever and good way to revise.

I did notice the looks and whispers. Even for a Ravenclaw I studied a lot. Nobody really liked me, but I guess that's what you get when people envy you. I always earned a lot of House points and got great marks.

Besides Janice, Bella and Lexie I never had any other friends. Padma and Terry were more acquaintances, but they hadn't talked to me since that day in the library. I could get what I wanted without friends. And with the exams in eleven weeks, they only stood in the way. I wanted to beat Granger.

I had to.


POV LEXIE JONES:

I didn't know whether I was imagining it or not, but I seemed to be running into Snape wherever I went. At times, I even wondered whether he was trying to catch me on his own. Could Snape know we'd found out about the Sorcerer's Stone?

I didn't see how he could, but sometimes I had the horrible feeling Snape could read minds. I heard he was refereeing at the Quidditch match. Even though that should be only advantageous for us, I could tell Potter was getting more nervous as the match drew nearer.

I hadn't been around him that much, because since Christmas I was fed up with Bella. I hadn't talked to her and her fellow Gryffindorks since, and I decided it was just better to focus on the people in my own House.

The idea of House Unity now seemed childishly ridiculous. Claire was right when she'd said I couldn't be friends with them and the Slytherins. I had chosen my fellow serpents. No big deal, right?

Most people stuck to their own Houses.

A thing that worried me more, was Snape's sudden and sinister desire to become a Quidditch referee. He had never shown particular enthusiasm for the sport. I could only imagine he generally wanted Slytherin to win at everything.

If Gryffindor won this match, they were overtaking Slytherin for the first time in seven years, and they Gryffindors simply wouldn't be able to with such a biased referee.

Not that I cared. I would love for us to win. However, I had a gut feeling. Something inside me told me it wasn't just about winning Quidditch. There was more to it. I guessed Potter and his friends were just afraid that he wouldn't survive the match after the previous broom-jinx-debacle.

When he was close to the locker rooms, I decided to have a little talk with him. The hall was filled with people, so I needed a subtle way to figure out if he was really frightened for his life without it seeming like an abnormal conversation to anyone passing by.

"Good luck, Potter," I sneered. "Try not to fall off your broom this time."

Normally he would have come up with an equally stinging retort (or at least he would try) but now I just saw his emerald eyes avoiding me.

"Good Godric, you're not really scared, are you?"

He gritted his teeth. I smirked, knowing I had gotten my answer. Maybe I needed to keep a closer eye on Snape…

"Good luck," I repeated and then I spotted Draco walking toward the stands.

"What were you telling Potter?" he asked.

"I told him not to fall off his broom," I grinned.

"Thank you for the gift," I said. "There was no need…"

"It was nothing," he laughed. "It's the thought that counts, right?"

"Sometimes it's just hard to tell if we're the kind of friends that give each other Christmas gifts," I said, looking at him intently.

I was wondering if we were really friends. If I could really rely on him.

"Well, I clearly think we are," he said, nodding.

He'd understood. He always seems to.

He pointed at Weasley in the stands. Draco poked Weasley on the back of his head.

"Look they're off! Ouch!"

"Oh sorry, Weasley, didn't see you there."

I grinned broadly at Crabbe and Goyle, who had just joined us.

"Wonder how long Potter's going to stay on his broom this time?" I questioned out loud.

It wasn't exactly meant to be malicious, but I guess it came out that way.

"Don't say stuff like that!" Janice bellowed.

She was the only non-Gryffindor up in the stands, except for us. "Where's Claire?" I asked.

"In the library," she said shortly.

I chuckled. The look on her face told me I wasn't the only one who left the pathetic House-Unity-Group.

"Anyone want a bet?" Draco said. "How about you, Weasley?"

Weasley didn't answer, he was glaring at Snape, who had just rewarded Hufflepuf a penalty. To me, h seemed too busy to be jinxing anyone. I had learned enough about jinxing that you needed to maintain focus.

"You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team?" said Draco loudly.

Snape rewarded Hufflepuf another penalty for no reason at all.

"It's people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents, then there's the Weasleys, who've got no money. And McLaggen…"

"What's wrong with her?" Granger snapped.

Something about Granger of all people standing up for her sparked something in me.

"What isn't?" I spat.

Janice's brown eyes were cold and empty, but I still noticed the bracelet on her wrist. Foolish girl, I thought. You're too old to believe in fairytales.

"You should be on the team too, Longbottom, you've got no brains," I sniggered.

"I'm worth twelve of you and Malfoy," he stammered.

I laughed. "Longbottom, if brains were gold you'd be poorer than Weasley," Draco chuckled.

"And that's saying something," I added.

"Ron!" said Granger suddenly. "Harry…"

I turned around quickly, scared I had been wrong about Snape's ability to multitask.

Potter had gone in a rather spectacular dive, which drew gasps and cheers from the crowd.

"You're in luck, Weasley, Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground!" said Draco.

Weasley snapped. He went on top of Draco, and Longbottom decided to help too. Before Crabbe and Goyle meddled in the brawl, I pulled my wand out.

"Locomotor Mortis!" I shouted, pointing at Weasley's and Longbottom's legs.

They stiffened and I rolled them off Draco.

"Let's go," I muttered.


POV BELLA MCLAGGEN:

"Come on, Harry!" I screamed.

I watched Harry sped straight at Snape like a bullet. Snape turned his broom just in time to see something scarlet shoot past him, only missing him by inches. The next second, Harry pulled out of the dive, him arm raised in triumph, the Snitch clasped in his hand.

He'd done it, the game was over. It had barely lasted five minutes. No one could say he was just on the team because he was famous anymore. I felt a hand upon my shoulder. I looked into Dumbledore's smiling face.

"I hope you haven't been brooding about that mirror," he said quietly.

"How do you know, sir?" I asked.

"I don't need a Cloak of Invisibility to remain unseen."

"Er… cool," I blurted out.

"Now, off you go and celebrate."

As the Gryffindors came running on the field, I quickly recognized Hermione, Ron and Neville. They were looking grumpy, which was a rather strange emotion to have at this utterly happy moment… "Come, smile! Gryffindor has won! We overtook stinking Slytherin!" I cheered. "Why the long faces? What happened?"

"Malfoy and Jones happened."

My face went red with fury as they told me the whole story. I can't believe I used to be friends with… her. I guess the little voice in my head was right, after all. I should have seen it coming she'd choose Malfoy over us.

"Maybe it's better this way," Harry said. "Gryffindor and Slytherin just don't go together. If she chooses Malfoy over you, it's her loss."

We had reached the broom shed to store away our brooms after the match. Harry was ecstatic and I couldn't blame him. He'd done it, he'd shown Snape…

And speaking of Snape… A hooded figure came swiftly down on the front steps of the castle. Clearly not wanting to be seen. The victory faded from my mind as I watched.

Harry and I locked eyes. Snape, sneaking into the forest while everyone else was at dinner? What was going on? This was too good to let go. We had to follow him.

We jumped back on our brooms and took off. The trees were so thick we couldn't see where Snape had gone. We flew in circles, lower and lower, brushing the top branches until we heard voices. We glided downward and landed noiselessly in a beech tree.

Below stood Snape, but he wasn't alone. Quirell was there too.

"… d-don't know why you wanted t-t-to meet here of all p-places, Severus…"

"Oh I just thought we'd keep this private," said Snape, his voice icy. "Students aren't supposed to know about the Sorcerer's Stone, after all."

Quirell was mumbling something. Snape interrupted him.

"Have you found out how to get past that beast of Hagrid's yet?"

"B-b-but Severus, I…"

"You know perfectly well what I mean."

An owl hooted loudly, and Harry almost fell out of the tree. I steadied him in time to hear Snape say,

"-your little bit of hocus-pocus. I'm waiting."

"B-but I d-d-don't-"

"Very well," Snape cut in. "We'll have another little chat soon, when you've had time to think things over and decided where your loyalties lie."

It was almost dark now, and all we could see was Quirrell standing there, petrified, while Snape marched away.


POV JANICE DIGGORY:

"Where have you been?" Hermione squeaked.

It was after dinner, and I, Harry, Ron and Bella were walking from the Great Hall. They told us everything. "So I was right, it is the Sorcerer's Stone," said Lexie.

She'd overheard. Malfoy was by her side, with a black eye. The business with the Sorcerer's Stone seemed important enough to keep everyone from having a go at each other. For now.

"-and Snape's trying to force Quirell to help him get it."

"He asked him if he knew how to get past Fluffy," I breathed.

"And Draco was right when he said there might be other things guarding the Stone. Quirrell has probably casted some anti-Dark Arts spell Snape needs him to break," Lexie said icily.

"So you mean the Stone's only safe as long as Quirell stands up to Snape?" I moaned. "It'll be gone by next Tuesday."

Lexie and Malfoy shared looks, then passed me by without looking at me.

"Unbelievable," Bella said. "That nasty slimy bitch's found herself a new friend and abandons us."

My teeth clenched. Those kind of remarks were starting to get really annoying. Bella always had an opinion ready, oblivious to her own faults. Her fiery personality wasn't exactly easy to be around, and perhaps it wasn't entirely Lexie's fault that she'd finally had enough.

I was afraid I might upset her if I said anything. I didn't want to lose Bella too. It would kill me if I lost her too, and I hoped she would feel the same. I realized that probably was not the case.

It wouldn't hurt her as much anyway, considering the fact she's still got Harry, Ron and Hermione. But as of now, she was all I had left.


1. How do you find new Lexie? (well, I'm not sure whether we should consider it new, she's always been like this but it seems more shocking in this way, doens't it? )
2. Claire's abandoned the group as well, what do you think?
3. How do you feel about Janice's grwoing annoyance toward Bella?
Love to hear your opinions xx