A/N: greetings my fellow fanfiction readers, I realise I've been absent for quite a long time, but do not fear… I'm not planning on abandoning this fic of mine. With school, a vacation abroad and my computer crashing I had somewhat of a set-back. Especially with Silver Lining which I tried checking on all the quite idiotic grammar errors and the typos which I find hard to find I had a major set-back. Basically all of my work is gone, and although I did make a back-up, it appears I hadn't done so daily, therefore quite a bit is gone.

Some of this story is gone as well, and I'm busy rewriting it, but basically I had the first twenty chapters in draft, which means I still have a rough line to follow. It's easier that way…

Anyway please enjoy chapter eleven, even if I've failed to update regularly, I'll return to it now^^

Happy readings. Harry Potter does not belong to me, but to J.K. Rowling


oOo


Chapter Eleven, Lord Voldemort

'No one saves us from ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.' — Buddha

The cold damp air pulled at his flailing limps and he landed with a muffled sort of thump on the soft ground. He was momentarily stunned; glad he was alive, even if he felt the beginning of bruisings on his back and knees, when Hermione's with panicked laced voice brought him back to the present.

"Get up, Draco! That's Devil's Snare!"

Chocking onto a wave of fear, Draco got to his feet shakily and looked for the wall. The green snakelike tendrils snaked around his ankles, trying to pull him back, but fuelled by panic and adrenaline spreading through his body with every heartbeat he reached the wall with a grateful sigh.

The plant still tried to wind itself around his ankles, but from his new position it couldn't get a good grip. "What is going one here?" he asked, lightening his wand with an annoyed wave.

Harry and Ron were struggling against the vines; Ron beginning to resemble a cocoon as he trashed and kicked at the plant with a frenzied need.

"Stop moving!" Hermione ordered, inching closer to Draco, shaking visibly. "Professor Sprout talked about this in class, remember. It likes the dark and the damp—" she continued, and Harry turned his head with a frown.

"Than light a fire!" he choked.

Hermione nodded frantically, starting to glance around with a grazed look in her eyes. Draco gave her an indecorous look. "What are you doing?"

"There is no wood…"

"HAVE YOU GONE MAD? ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?" Ron yelled half hysterical, but Draco had enough. As the snake like tendrils started up his ankles again, he sent a jet of fire to the plant.

Faced with the heat combined with the light the plant loosened its grip on the two boys and shivered back. Ron got up on shaky legs and stumbled to the wall beside Draco. His expression for the first time not hostile as he exhaled loudly, before patting Draco awkwardly on his shoulder. Harry seemed to have more grace, but seemed no less pleased to fall back against the wall with a sigh. "Merlin, thanks Draco."

"Yeah," Draco muttered, feeding the fire with his magic, until the plant had shivered away in a darkened corner. "You're welcome."

"This way," Hermione said, pointing at the damp stone passage.

Draco crossed his arms in front of his chest while pressing his lips into a thin stubborn line, before following after the silly bushy-haired witch. They trudged down the passage; their footsteps resonated alarmingly loud off the damp walls and, to keep himself from shivering, he ducked his head at once under the shelter of the hood of his cape. The roots from the shivering plant were gone, but the cold feeling they had left in his bloodstream was not.

Eventually the four friends — and Draco used that term lightly — stepped into a bright chamber filled with thousands of flattering birds. It would have been logically if the birds would attack upon noticing them, but no such a thing happened and they kept chasing each other.

It took them a moment, before they realised the flying birds were not indeed birds, but winged keys. Another moment and they realised their next task was to find the right key to open the lock.

Harry was the first one to spot the brooms in a far corner. "Who catches the right key first?" he challenged, as he nudged Draco playfully.

"You're on, Potter."

oOo

Hermione sighed as she watched her friends take to the air, in the same fashion as they had done that first flying lesson. Ron seemed eager to kick off onto a broom as well and Hermione sighed. There were only three brooms and she was more than happy to keep her feet firmly planted onto the ground.

Harry and Draco looped around each other, each boy eager to find the old winged key first and Hermione had to bite her lip to say nothing slightly insulting. It only took a stupid contest to keep their minds of the much more important goal and she placed her hands on her hips.

"It must be rather old, guys!" she yelled. Draco made a loop so dangerous she gasped loudly. "Will you two stop that. We don't have time for games." she snapped as he winked at her, before ascending up again.

She couldn't deny that he was indeed a good flyer. Even on the school-broom — which Ron had labeled as not better than poxy-shit — he dove up and down with speed and skill. If it wasn't for the teasing and the provocations, he might have gotten to the right key first, but Harry beat him to it.

Harry laughed loudly when he actually managed to catch it and Draco sniffed disdainfully, before Harry bumped his shoulder almost throwing the blond of his broom. They descended together, while Draco nudged Harry with his elbow and Ron almost smashed into the both of them for being kept out.

Hermione sighed again, stalked up to them and snatched the key from Harry. It struggled immensely, but as it was just a key it couldn't get away. A swarm of pursuing locks swarmed around her, but Hermione had enough, pulling her wand out with her left hand she snarled; "Stupefy!"

And the locks hovered a few feet in the air harmlessly. Both Harry and Ron gave her worried glances, almost fearful, but Draco smirked. "Well, that's one way to deal with those."

Hermione smiled, before unlocking the door. It was quite a change, while the winged keys were in a bright open room, the next was dimly-lit and the walls damp; water dripping gently down. It took a moment before her eyes were adjusted to the dark and her young Slytherin friend had to push her aside, before the three boys could enter.

Ron and Draco simultaneously let out a gasp as they took in their new surroundings. They were standing at the edge of a huge chessboard, behind the black pieces; although a few were missing. Hermione craned her neck as she looked up at the queen. The pieces were carved from onyx and a great lot taller than they were.

The chess-pieces ahead of them were ominous; as they had no faces. The flickering torchlights almost died when a gust of wind flew through the damp space and Hermione's breath hitched in her throat.

They had to play to cross the spacious room. Hermione wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. "This isn't like Muggle chess is it?"

Draco frowned. "How do you play Muggle chess then?"

Harry stepped up next to the blond and smirked. "She wonders if the pieces will smash each other."

Draco's frown deepened. "Of course the pieces smash each other, that's Wizard chess for you."

Hermione fell her face blanch, as the dark pieces literally invited them to join them against the fight against the white pieces. Under Ron and Draco's supervision — it was weird to see the two of them work together — they all took a spot which was empty. Probably pieces that had been smashed when Snape passed through. The game started, Ron took the place of a knight — which was the last spot available and Draco stood at the edge of the chessboard. His face was slightly pale as he and Ron yelled directions over the pieces.

Hermione didn't have the right mindset for chess. She should have been good at it, as it drove on logic, but Ron always beat her. Draco seemed to know how to play as well and the knowledge that both boys were better at it, gnawed at her Hermione.

She was only half aware as the game progressed. The white rook had taken down a bishop and shattered; stone chips flew as the piece was destroyed. The floor shook as it smashed down onto the floor.

Ron swallowed as Draco they had to play defensively, as they needed all their players, when the end came. The game progressed swiftly until only a few white and black pieces lingered onto the board.

Hermione's breath came out in frantic gasps, when she realised one of them would have to make the next move; her past worries forgotten. The chessboard was littered with the rubble and debris as the dust cleared. Draco cleared his throat, catching Ron's eye, before rubbing his hands together.

Ron nodded wordlessly; Hermione finally caught on. "No, Ron!"

"I have to, when I'm down, Harry you have to take the king down!" Ron yelled, before stalking towards the queen. He trembled violently, before the huge onyx stone struck him down. Ron was flung through the air, off the board and slumped down against the wall; unmoving.

Hermione yelled; she was aware that her voice rose a few octaves, shrill and loud. She wanted to make sure Ron was all right, but she was rooted to the spot. Draco yelled, but Hermione Granger couldn't make out what he said. Her heartbeat was erratic and her hands trembled.

"No, Hermione!" Harry yelled. Hermione's breath hitched; she inched her feet over the next white square, absentmindedly about to make the next move and therefore bringing them all in danger. Glancing at her with a quizzical look, Harry moved forward to the queen; about to finish the game.

From the corners of her eyes, Hermione glanced at Ron. He was still not moving and Hermione tried to determine how he was doing.

"Check mate," Harry called; his voice loudly echoing through the room. The king's great-sword, which he had been resting his hands on, fell down; crashing onto the board with a loud thud. The game was over.

Hermione's lip wobbled, before sh ran off towards Ron. She fell to her knees and burst into tears, heaving heavily and patting debris out of her hair. Ron's face was pale, but he seemed all right, except for being unconscious.

oOo

Draco was slightly unsure what he should do. Hermione Granger was huddled beside one of the demolished pieces, arms wrapped around her knees. Her shoulders were shaking, and her sobs sounded a little desperate, and Draco realised she would probably go into a fit of hysterics soon.

He wanted to go and comfort her, but he knew from personal experience and from watching his father dealing with his mother when she was upset, that it was better to leave a weeping woman alone. Even if the woman in question was a small one.

"Hermione?"

She hiccuped wrapping her arms around her waist, before looking up at them.

"I'll go back, get Madam Pomfrey." he continued, watching as a small pool of blood started to form around Weasley's head. If it wasn't for the even rise and fall of his chest, he would have feared the redhead was dead.

Hermione shook her head, her tearstained cheeks blotched red. She seemed to be unable to control the tears, but fought the sobs back admirably. Draco was for the umpteenth time that year, impressed. "No, Harry needs us."

Harry didn't seem to agree fully, but was wise enough not to voice it out loud. Hermione shrugged out of her cardigan, before pressing it under Weasley's head. "I'll go back," she said, and Draco felt the urge to shake his head. Why would she go, she was the Gryffindor, he wasn't…

"You—" her cheeks turned scarlet. "You've grown up into this world and you might be able to navigate through it easier than me or Harry does."

We'll go see together what's behind the door, but I'll go back—" she hiccuped again, obviously not capable to finish the sentence.

Harry helped the near-hysterical-girl up to her feet and moved to the next door. Her breath was coming in loud and frantic breaths for air, but she kept silent. As Harry opened the next door they stumbled into another stone corridor.

Draco gagged, as a disgusting odour wafted towards them. It was a horrible, suffocating, putrid odour of rotten eggs pervaded with something Draco couldn't name, but knew was even worse. The rotten smell so thick, he could almost see it swirling in the 'clean' air.

Draco hadn't even seen the mountain troll, until he almost fell over his bat. He was huge, greyish with a large reddish lump on his head. It was out cold and Draco wondered how many times Quirrell had to hit him with that bat, before he managed to knock it unconscious.

Swallowing hard, he took a large step away from the creature and pressed the sleeve of his robe against his nose and mouth. "So glad, we didn't have to deal with that!"

"For once I completely agree with you. That one doesn't look all that easy."

"No he— What do you mean with that one?" Draco asked astonished.

"Ron and I kinda dealt with the one from Hallowe'en." Harry answered off-handedly. Hermione seemed unimpressed, but said nothing.

Draco stared, before rubbing his temples. "You two are completely insane." the sarcasm muffled by his sleeve.

The next room was thankfully odourless and the three children expelled their breaths in a simultaneous sigh. The room they were in was small, water dripping off the walls and a long table stood in the middle; with seven differently shaped bottles standing on it in a straight line.

"Obviously Severus Snape's handy work." Draco observed stepping further into the room. The exit burst alive with purple flames and blue flames sprang to life in the doorway leading onward. They were stuck, the fire preventing them from going on and from going back and Draco sighed. "Yes, definitely Snape's work."

Hermione was the first to notice the scroll lying on the table. It looked as if someone had hastily thrown it down, as the edges were folded and the paper looked ruffled. Her bushy hair bouncing with every step and her voice a lot clearer, when she read the riddle out loud.

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,

Toe help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:

First, however slyly the poison tries to hide

You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;

Second, different are those who stand at either end,

But if you would move onwards, neither is your friend;

Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,

Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;

Fourth, the second left and the second on the right

Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight.

Hermione smiled, her cheeks still blotched red, but her eyes glistered with something else than tears. "Brilliant," she breathed, her voice awed.

Draco frowned, not seeing the brilliance at all. "Can you please repeat that, my head hurts." he dryly remarks. "Especially the part starting from 'neither dwarf nor giant', you lost me there."

Harry soundlessly moved towards Draco; "You mean to say you weren't lost from the first sentence?"

"This isn't magic—" Hermione started, fixing both boys with an annoyed look. "—It's logic. A puzzle; many great wizards just don't do logic." she breathed. "Which is odd of course, but if they can't use logic they will be stuck in here forever."

"Yes," Draco said, who had worked that out as well, "that's why I want you to repeat part of the blood riddle, so we won't be stuck here…"

Hermione nodded, before walking over towards him. Harry sighed; he didn't like pure logic. As Draco and Hermione discussed the possibilities Harry's face fell more and more. His gut feeling told him this was it. The next obstacle would be Snape and perhaps even Voldemort and Harry wasn't sure how he was to face them.

"It's this one," Hermione said, breaking through Harry's crumbled thoughts. "It's the third one; the one which will help us go forward."

"You're sure?" Harry asked.

"Yes, we're sure." Draco answered. "This one," he started, pointing at the smallest vial in the line. "is the one needed."

Harry frowned, before picking it up. His messy-hair fell in front of his face and his lips pursed into a tight line. "There's not much in here." he said twirling the bottle between his fingers. "Barely enough for one person…"

To be continued…


A/N: Please leave a review; I need it^^

I'm planning on answering all of you who have leaved a previous review. Please bear with me, I need some time getting back at all of you!