Disclaimer: J.K. owns Harry Potter and all characters that go along with him. I own Alex Potter.
A/N: Hello again everyone! I know I'm late, but this time, I am only two days late, not two years! I had busy weekend.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed the previous chapters, you are what keeps my muse alive!
Anyway, This chapter was a lot of fun to write, I hope you will all enjoy it.
Into The Depths
Hogwarts Castle
Friday, May 30th, 1992
Library
It had been over five months since school had begun after the Holidays, in fact, it was nearly time for it to end for the summer. That fact, of course, meant exams were right around the corner. Many were stressing, some were nonchalant, and others were confident about their performance.
There were three children, however, who were not thinking about exams at all on the eve of Friday the 30th of May. Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Alex Potter were all bunched over a table in a back corner of the Library. They were doing their best to be inconspicuous, they weren't doing very well, but there wasn't anyone around to hear them anyway.
"I'm telling you, Snape finally got Quirrell to break! Snape now knows how to get past his part of the puzzle! He's got to be going for the stone." Alex exclaimed, to loudly, apparently in Hermione's opinion, as she shushed her friend before looking to see if anyone heard. No one did of course, but the three children were feeling paranoid.
"Not so loud!" She said, after returning to the table. "That may be true, but we need to remember there are still four professor's enchantments protecting the stone, and Fluffy."
"What more is there to look through?" Ron asked, exasperated. "First clue, We see Snape with his leg bitten after trying to get past the dog on Halloween. Clue two, Alex hears Snape try to get Quirrell to give up his info on his protection for the stone. Clue three, Alex just heard Quirrell give in and spill his guts to Snape. What about all this makes you doubt that Snape is going after the stone?"
Hermione rolled her eyes, "I believe I already said that. Four other protections and Fluffy. He's a smart man, he'll prepare for it further."
"'Mione, he'll lose his chance after term ends, even teachers aren't allowed to stay all year, 'cept maybe Dumbledore." Alex explained, "He's got to go for it now or never!"
"Couldn't he wait till next term?" Hermione asked.
"There's no guarantee that it would still be there. As you said, he's a smart man, I'm sure he'll get past the other four traps." Alex assured his friend.
"And what exactly are you planning on doing with this information?"
"We have to stop him before he gets the stone!" Ron decided.
"No." Hermione shut him down, "We have to tell a teacher."
"What? 'Mione, this is Snape we're talking about, there is no bloody way a teacher will believe us if we tell them." Ron countered.
Hermione sighed, "I can't believe I'm even thinking of agreeing agreeing to this insane idea."
"Yeah!" Alex and Ron cheered.
"On the other hand, how are we supposed to get down to the third floor corridor? We certainly can't get down there during the day, and at night there are teachers patrolling. I'm not risking us losing any more points for Gryffindor after what happened last time."
"You've got a point, Hermione." Alex conceded.
"Wouldn't it be great if we could just walk past them?" Ron said wistfully.
"Ron! That's it! You're a genius!" Hermione exclaimed.
"I am?" Ron asked, confused.
"Yes!" Hermione turned to Alex, "Remember how I told you that your brother has an invisibility cloak?"
Alex's eyes widened with realization, "That's brilliant! Then we could walk right past them!"
"Only problem with that plan is your brother." Ron stated, "He might not let us borrow it."
Ron and Hermione looked to Alex, "You need to convince him to let us borrow it, for just one night." Hermione said.
"I'll do my best."
Hogwarts Castle
Thursday, June 4th, 1992
Charms Corridor
Harry had just finished his final Charms exam , which he had done rather well on, in his humble opinion. He was walking back towards the Slytherin dungeons when he was sidetracked by his brother.
"Harry!" Alex yelled from behind him. Turning, Harry saw Alex running up behind him wheezing and out of breath. "Thank Merlin I caught up with you. We need to talk."
"Is this about me missing our meeting yesterday?" The twins had been meeting up at least once or twice a week to talk. The past week and a half had been rough with exams, so they hadn't me since the last Wednesday.
"What? No. I just figured you were busy, what with exams and all." Alex answered, having finally caught his breath.
"Oh, right." Harry grinned, "At least they're over now!" For that Harry was extremely glad, exams had taken up most of his and his friend's time so they hadn't been able to work on finding the hidden passageways. The five of them had been sneaking out every other night to explore the castle, using Terry's book as a guide. They still hadn't found that passageway to Hogmeade yet, but Harry could feel that they were so close. Now that exams were over, they were free to continue on that. After getting some much needed sleep, of course.
"Yeah," Alex gave a half-hearted smile. "Uh, so I was wanting to ask you something."
"Sure, what is it?"
"Can I borrow your invisibility cloak?"
Harry's eyes widened and he frowned slightly, "How did you—" Then he remembered , "Oh, Hermione told you about that then."
"Er…Yeah. Sorry."
"It's alright, if I didn't want you knowing I wouldn't have gotten it out in front of her." Harry's smile returned.
"Brilliant! So, can I borrow it?" Alex' eyes and tone were hopeful.
"Why?"
"Er…what?"
"Why do you need my cloak?" Harry expanded his question.
"Oh, erm… that bit…Well you see, we need it to—"
"Lie." Harry deadpanned.
"What?"
"You're a really bad liar, I've learned that. Don't you think that at least I deserve the truth?"
Alex sighed, if he'd known this was going to be this hard, he probably would have told Ron and Hermione that they needed another way. Gryffindor courage, now's the time to use it. He thought then said to his brother, "It's sort of a long story."
Harry flicked his wrist up, as though he were looking at a watch, then looked back at Alex. "I think I have time."
"Alright, but not here." Alex grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him into an abandoned classroom to explain everything.
Hogwarts Castle
Thursday, June 4th, 1992
Gryffindor Common Room
Late Afternoon
Hermione checked the time again. "I really hope he comes back with the cloak."
Ron lounged deeper into the chair he was sitting in, "Come on, 'Mione, he's the one who said he wanted to go tonight, if he doesn't get the cloak, we'll just have to use plan 'B'"
Hermione, startled, looked at Ron, "What plan 'B'?"
"We talked about this, didn't we? We were gonna be smart and use that map Alex's dad gave him."
"Oh… well. I suppose. Having the cloak would still help."
"No kidding." Ron shrugged, grabbing a pillow from the couch and putting it behind his head.
A few minutes later, there were a few murmurs through the common room as the Fat Lady swung open and Alex Potter entered dragging his Slytherin brother into the Gryffindor common room. "Come on Harry! This way!"
Harry slowly entered awkwardly waving at a few of the other Gryffindor students, all of whom were staring at him and his emerald green tie.
"Harry!" Alex's face reappeared through the crowd of red and gold, waving Harry over. Harry smiled at the other students before making his way over towards Alex.
"Alex, what were you thinking bringing Harry in here?" Ron Weasley asked abruptly.
"Ron! Don't be rude! Yes, he's a Slytherin, but he's nice." Hermione scolded her friend.
"Hey Hermione, Ron." Harry waved at them, then turned to his over enthusiastic brother. "Alex, why am I in here? Not that I'm complaining, of course, but some of your friends over there don't seem to like having me in here."
"What?" Alex looked behind him, but quickly turned back. Waving off his fellow Lion's awkward glaces and looks he said, "Nevermind them. Ron, Hermione, Harry is coming with us tonight."
"What?!" Both Gryffindors said at the same time.
"I know, I tried to talk him out of it, but that's the only way we get to use the cloak." Alex admitted.
"What you're doing is dangerous and incredibly stupid." Harry said, glaring at Alex.
"So you want to come with?" Ron said sarcastically.
"I'm coming to make sure you lot don't kill yourselves."
Alex stopped the conversation from devolving any further by interjecting, "Right, so what time should we meet, and where should we meet?"
"I'd say around 11, to make sure everyone is in bed before you come out." Harry said, thinking it through, "And I'll be waiting outside the portrait."
"Don't you want to meet us halfway? I mean, we can't ask you to some all the way up here, just to go back down again." Hermione objected.
"I have an invisibility cloak, you don't. It's safer this way." Harry stood, straightening his robes. "See you later."
"Well, that was quicker than most of our discussions about this, Harry really sped things up." Ron stated.
"Come on, let's get to dinner." Alex said, picking up his bag.
Hogwarts Castle
Thursday, June 4th, 1992
Outside the Gryffindor Common room
Harry waved his wand, checking the time again. 11:06. He had gotten there early, underestimating the time it took to get from the Dungeons to here, but now he was regretting that. 'What is taking them so long?' He thought, exasperated as he watched Nearly Headless Nick make his fourth pass through this corridor. 'Four minutes until he comes through again. If he doesn't get sidetracked.' Harry grinned from under the cloak. 'What's the harm in a little mischief?'
Harry picked up a small pebble from the ground near where he was crouched. Twirling his wand he put a noise charm on it and banished it off to an abandoned classroom three corridors down. 'Five...four...three...two...one...' BOOM! The be-speckled boy may not have learned how to make a pebble actually explode, but he sure knew how to make one sound like it. In the distance he could hear Nick yelling for Filch, his yells slowly fading off into the distance. 'Back to waiting...' Harry sighed and settled back down on the floor.
Naught but two minutes later, at exactly 11:10 PM the three Gryffindors Harry had been waiting for tumbled out of their common room. "Blimey Hermione, I can't believe you just did that!" Ron Weasley yelled for all the world to hear.
Harry, still under his cloak, stood, glided up behind him, and hissed, "Do you want the teachers to find us?"
The three Gryffindors jumped, "Harry, Bloody Hell! Don't scare us like that!" Alex blurted out.
Harry let the hood of the cloak fall to his shoulders. "Well then stop yelling. You lot are the ones that wanted to sneak out."
"Yes, right. Let's get going before Snape steals the stone." Ron said, motioning to Harry to lift the cloak for the rest of them.
"Wait? You think Professor Severus is trying to steal the stone?" Harry asked incredulously.
"You've got to be kidding me! We don't have time for this!" Weasley turned to Alex, "You didn't tell the snake that we suspected his master?"
"Ron! That was uncalled for!" Hermione shouted. At this, Ron began defending himself and Alex kept saying "I swear I thought I told him, I swear it!"
Now Harry was glad that he'd distracted the ghost, otherwise they would have been found out.
Finally, Harry'd had enough. "Shut. Up." He said firmly, just loud enough to be heard over the hubbub the three were creating.
Immediately the three quieted.
"While I do care that you think my head of house is responsible for this, I am not going to leave you standing here because we disagree. In fact I have all the more reason to come along, to prove him innocent." Harry stated, lifting his cloak. "Well, come on, we don't have all night."
With that, the trio scurried under the invisibility cloak and set off for the third floor corridor.
Hogwarts Castle
Thursday, June 4th, 1992
Third Floor Corridor
11:30PM
They arrived to find an open door just inside they could see the dog snoozing peacefully to music that was being played by a spell. The spell was slowly wearing off though, meaning the caster was long gone.
As they all took this in, dread settled upon three of them at what was facing them. The thief was already here. "You know, if you three want to go back, you can." Alex said selflessly, standing before his friends and brother, "I can do this on my own."
"Sorry to sound cliché, but stop being such a selfless Gryffindor. We're coming too." Harry said.
Hermione and Ron repeated line along the same sentiment, but with less bite.
"Start playing, I think Snape's spell is wearing off." Ron said, nudging Alex.
Alex nodded, and with his flute to his lips, he stepped into the room
Harry watched in horror and a bit of awe as the giant Cerberus that had been waking up was slowly lulled back to sleep by his brother's flute playing. When it yawned, Harry saw it's teeth, it's huge, nightmare inducing teeth.
The second the dog's heads hit the floor again, Hermione and Ron rushed past Harry and began shifting one of its paws. Ron looked over at Harry, "Well, are you going to help?"
Harry shook his head to rid the image of the teeth, nodded, and went to help them push.
After several minutes of pushing, the paw finally gave way to reveal a trap door. Ron and Harry lifted it, finding a black abyss of darkness below their feet. "What now? There's no ladder!" Harry stated.
"Now mate?" Ron grinned, "We jump." He said, and proceeded to do exactly that. He landed with a comforting "Oomph!" Which was not the 'Splat' Harry was, admittedly, expecting.
"Don't worry guys!" Ron called up, "Soft landing!"
'Soft landing?! There was no way a fall that far down was a soft landing.' Harry thought cynically, 'Do Gryffindors always leap before they look, or is it just him?'
Hermione exhaled a sigh of relief when she heard Ron call up. "Well, I suppose I'm next?"
Alex made a noise and tapped her on the shoulder, then pointing to himself. 'Me next' was the general meaning.
"I'll take the flute." Harry offered, moving to stand next to his twin. Alex nodded and Harry counted down from three with his left hand, his right poised to take the flute.
The switch took less than a second, and a second later Harry was playing. The silence caused the beast to shift, making Hermione nervous.
"Come on Alex, jump!"
"On it." He said before jumping, also landing with a thud at the bottom. "Blimey, what is this stuff?" He addressed Ron.
"Dunno, some sort of plant thing, but I'm glad it's here, otherwise I'd be a pancake."
Hermione rolled her eyes and jumped down to join the boys. THUD "Merlin, we must be miles below the school…" She trailed off.
THUD Harry had jumped down almost directly after her, he could hear the beast above thrashing the second after he removed the flute from his lips. 'It woke up quickly' He thought, astonished.
"Yeah, lucky this plant thing's here, am I right?"
'Plant thing?' Harry looked down at himself to see the 'plant thing' twirling around his ankles. Quickly he got up and ran in—well, he didn't even know what direction, he just hoped it was away from that.
Reaching the wall, he heard Hermione yell, "Lucky? Look at you! Harry has the right idea!"
He turned around to see the other two boys struggling to get free. Harry quickly noticed that it wasn't helping, in fact it just seemed to be hindering their escape. "Stop moving! It's not helping!" He shouted.
"No, no! He's right! I know what this is! It's Devil's Snare!" Hermione yelled.
"Well, thank you Hermione for that kind insight into the name of the plant that is trying to kill us" Ron bellowed back at her, continuing his struggle with the plant.
"Shut up! I'm trying to remember how to kill it!"
"Well hurry up! I can't breathe!" Alex choked.
"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare… oh, what did the Professor say?"
"It likes the dark and damp!" Harry remembered.
"So start a fire!" Alex rasped.
"But I don't have any wood!" Hermione said despondently.
"ARE YOU BLOODY CRACKERS?!" Ron yelled at the top of his lungs, "ARE YOU A WITCH OR AREN'T YOU?"
"Oh! Of course!" Hermione waved her wand and shouted, "Incendio!"
Red flames billowed out of her wand, causing the plant to shrink back away from the burning light and heat, the boys managed to break free and run over to Harry and Hermione.
"This way!" Alex said pointing to a stone passageway, their only way forward.
As soon as they were in the passageway, both redheads of the party turned to Hermione and expressed their genuine thanks. "Really though Hermione? 'No wood'?" Ron scoffed at her.
Hermione blushed and said, "Yes, well, let's keep moving."
As they continued, Alex told a couple jokes to lighten the mood, but Harry just took in his surroundings. Being all the way down here reminded Harry of Severus' description of Gringotts. With a jolt, he remembered the stories of dragons at the old bank and turned to the laughing trio, "You don't think there are," He paused, "dragons down here, do you?"
Ron looked him in the eye, "I highly doubt it. They wouldn't bring a dragon to a school full of children, don't you think?"
"Well they brought a Cerberus." Harry mumbled.
"Shhh!" Alex said from ahead of them, "Do you hear that?"
If he really listened, Harry could make out a faint sound of rustling or klinking in the distance.
"Do you think it's a ghost?" Asked Hermione, shivering slightly.
"Naw, sounds more like… wings to me." Ron said.
They ran to the end of the passageway opening the door they found there. The chamber they found was well lit with high arched ceilings and another door on the other side. "This is way too simple, I mean, it's just a door!" Alex made to go across the room to the door, but he was stopped by Harry's arm holding him back.
"I don't think it's that simple." The dark haired boy said, pointing up.
All four of them looked up and saw little bird-like things flying up above their heads.
"Do you think they'll attack if we just run across?" Hermione asked.
Alex grinned at Hermione, "Only one way to find out!" He stated before running across the room with his hands over his head. He was expecting to be attacked at any time, but the expected attack never came, and he reached the other side without incident. "Huh, I was expected to have my eyes pecked out by now."
Harry was starting to notice a pattern of the Gryffindor Leap-Before-You-Look-Syndrome, the deadly disease showing up in the Lions there with him beneath the school. They were going to get themselves killed!
"Not funny Alex!" Hermione called over to him, seeming to have the same sentiments as Harry. 'At least she's sane.' Harry thought.
"Sorry!" He said chuckling. Alex turned to open the door, only to find it locked. "It's locked!"
Hermione rolled her eyes and hurried over, casting glances at the birds occasionally. "Alohamora." She waved her wand at the door, expecting it to be unlocked, she turned the handle. "I can't believe it! It didn't work!"
"What?" Now Ron ran over and tried the door.
While the Gryffindors were studying the door, Harry studied the room. This had to be one of the challenges. Alex had mentioned five professors had a hand in protecting it. So which one built this challenge?
Sprout was out, the Devil's Snare was obviously hers, and Alex had mentioned something about the dog belonging to Hagrid. That left Snape, Flitwick, McGonagall, and Quirrell.
After surveying the room, it seemed that the only odd things were the birds and the brooms over in the corner. It was very unlikely to have anything to do with Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, or Muggle Studies, so Harry felt he could safely rule out Severus and Quirrell.
The only two remaining would be McGonagall and Flitwick, Transfiguration and Charms.
The brooms, Harry had to admit, were a point in McGonagall's favor, that woman did love her Quidditch. But the birds…upon closer inspection, they didn't act like proper birds. Their flight patterns were erratic, and they never landed. And there was a faint 'tink' whenever one ran into another, more like metal. And flying metal things meant they were charmed, so this had to be Flitwick's challenge.
Metal charmed to fly, plus broomsticks, add in a locked door… "Ah ha!"
All three of the room's other occupants jumped at Harry's sudden exclamation.
"What is it Harry?" Hermione asked.
"I've figured out the challenge!"
"Challenge? It's just a bloody door!" Ron retorted.
"Is it? If it were a regular door, it would have been unlocked when you used the un-locking spell on it, wouldn't it?"
"Well, yeah." The redhead admitted.
"Then I would suppose, we need a key." Harry pointed to the 'birds' which were, in fact, keys.
"What?" Alex, Ron, and Hermione all looked up at the keys floating through the air.
"How the bloody hell are we supposed to find the right one?" Ron blurted out.
"Never mind that, how are we supposed to get up there?" Alex questioned.
"That second question is easy." Harry pointed to the brooms. "You fly."
"What about my question? Asked Ron.
Hermione's eyes lit as she caught on, "We just have to find the one that matches this lock!"
Alex nodded and walked over to the brooms and took one. After mounting, he said, "Describe the lock.
"Big, and old fashioned." Hermione said "Oh! And silver, like the handle!"
Alex nodded and took off, searching for the key that matched the description. There were so many, glittering and swirling around him, it was hard to focus of finding just one key.
"Hey Alex!" Alex looked down to see Harry looking up at him, "It's probably got a broken or scrunched wing! Like it's been caught before. It'd be flying funny!"
Again, Alex nodded and continued his search. After about a minute of weaving through the rainbow of feathers, he saw it. "I think I see it! That big one, there below me! With the bright blue wings! See it's feathers all crumpled on one side?"
"I see it!" Harry said
"Get ready to catch!" With that Alex went into a dive straight down towards the blue key. The other keys were trying to get out of the way, and the ones that didn't get out of the way fast enough gave Alex a few scratches. He didn't stop though, he could see the blue key getting closer by the second. And then… he had it! He pulled out of his dive right before hitting the floor and he threw the squirming key to Harry, who was standing by the door.
Harry caught the key and immediately shoved it in the lock turning it quickly. He shoved the door open and ran through. Ron and Hermione piled in after him and Alex flew in just before the door shut of its own accord.
"Well, that was fun." Alex wheezed as he dismounted the broom and set it against the wall.
The chamber they now resided in had been pitch black when the entered, but as soon as Ron took a step further into the chamber, it flooded with bright light.
"Merlin's beard…" Ron said, astonished.
He had good reason to be astonished, for standing in front of them was the biggest chessboard any of them had ever seen. Completed with chessmen twice the size of Ron carved from stone. Behind all the pieces, on the other side of the board, was a white door.
"It's beautiful." Ron said as he went to touch the black knight in front of him. The second his fingers graced the cold, black stone it sprung to life. The knight's horse pawed at the ground and made a motion like it was whinnying. The knight himself spun around to look at Ron with his stone eyes. "Do we…er…have to join you to get across?"
The knight nodded.
Ron turned to the others, "We have to play chess to get across!" He said, grinning. "I suppose we've got to take the place of four black pieces, then play our way across. This needs thinking about…"
Ron started pacing feeling the eyes of his friends, taking note of his every move. Slowly he could feel a chess strategy blossoming in his head his grin grew with his confidence, and he turned to face his friends saying, "I think I can beat this."
"Brilliant!" Alex grinned with his friend, "So what do we have to do?"
Ron thought for another moment, "Harry, you take the place of that rook over there," Ron pointed to the far rook, Harry nodded and took his spot. "Alex, you next to him in place of the bishop," Alex took off to join his twin, Ron turned to Hermione, "And you are going to take the place of the King."
Hermione's eyes widened.
"Don't worry, you'll be fine." Ron placed a hand on her shoulder, "I'll make sure of it."
Hermione nodded slowly, then walked over to the black king and took his spot.
"What about you Ron?" Alex asked.
"Me? I'm going to be a knight!" Ron ran up and traded places with the knight he'd spoken with earlier. "We're ready!" He shouted over to the white pieces.
"White always moves first." Harry said, "Look!" A white pawn moved forward two spaces.
Ron smiled and began the game. The white pieces showed no mercy when taking their pieces, quickly, a pile of limp black pieces was at the side of the board. Their only confidence was Ron, he was running around the board taking white pieces practically every turn.
A real shock came when their other knight was taken and he lay there limp on the side of the board, Hermione couldn't stop staring at it, even as Ron mumbled something and shouted orders for Harry to take a piece.
Twice, Ron had barely noticed in time to stop Harry and Alex from being chopped in to Potter Bites, and Hermione was really starting to get worried.
Slowly, the game processed. Finally, after what had seemed like forever, Ron said, "Nearly there, just a few more moves."
The white queen slowly turned her blank stare onto Ron. "Yes…that's it…I have to be taken."
"What?!" Shouted Alex, at the same time, Hermione shouted, "NO!"
"It's chess! Sometimes you have to sacrifice a piece to win the game!" Ron shouted back. "Look, I take one step forward and the queen will take me, leaving Harry free to checkmate the king."
"But—" Hermione objected.
"Do you want to get the stone before Snape or not?"
"Ron—" Alex started.
"There is no alternative, and if we don't finish this now, Snape will already have the stone!" Ron glared at his friends, he then looked at Harry. "Make them go on."
Harry frowned, but nodded. Ron smiled at him, then took a step forward, facing the white queen. She pounced on Ron, hitting him along the head with her club. Harry closed his eyes as Ron was drug to the side of the board by the queen. Hermione and Alex were screaming, but were staying where they were for the time being.
"Time to end this." Harry said, moving the three spaces to the left, successfully checkmating the king. "Checkmate." The king took off his crown and threw it down at Harry's feet. They'd won, but it hardly felt like a victory.
The chessmen parted and bowed, showing the way to the next room. Harry ran and grabbed the wrists of Alex and Hermione.
"What if he's—" Hermione started.
"I'm sure he'll be alright." Alex assured her.
The next room they could smell before they saw it. As soon as they opened the door, the stench was overwhelming, making their eyes water.
"It's a troll." Alex stated, open mouthed, "It's twice the size the one we fought on Halloween."
'So, They really did fight a troll after all…' Harry thought as he went over towards the troll. Holding his nose, he bent down to check if it was dead. "I think it's out cold."
Hermione ran over and checked the door. "It's unlocked, so I suppose Snape knocked him out for us and unlocked the door."
Alex shrugged and nodded, eager to get out of the room. "Let's go."
Harry stepped around the troll carefully and followed the other two out of the dreadful room.
"I suppose that just leaves Snape's challenge." Harry said, stepping into the next room. And indeed it was, it seemed very straightforward, just seven differently shaped bottles on a stone table in front of them and a door behind the table.
"Wonder what we have to do…" Alex said stepping over the threshold of the room. The second the last person had crossed the threshold of the room purple flames sprung up behind them, blocking the way back, and black flames appeared before them blocking the way forward.
"It can't ever be simple can it?" Alex asked the air.
"What do we have to do?" Harry asked Hermione, who had seized a roll of parchment that was next to one of the bottles.
"Let me read…" She answered.
'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 for evermore,
To 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.'*
"Brilliant!" Harry exclaimed, "It's a logic puzzle."
"Agreed. Some wizards may have magnificent magical prowess but not have a drop of logic to their name." Hermione explained. "They'd be stuck here forever."
"Well, are we going to be stuck here forever?" Alex asked.
"Let me think…" Hermione said, mulling over the parchment's clues. Harry came over and looked at them over her shoulder, studying them just as intensely.
Alex went over to the bottles, their contents all looked the same to him. He was really glad that Ron, Hermione and Harry hadn't backed out, he never would have gotten this far without them.
"I think I have it." Hermione walked behind the stone table, she pointed to the smallest one, "This one will get us through the black fire to go onward."
"There's only enough there for one, maybe two of us." Alex stated, glancing at the tiny bottle. "Which one takes you back through the purple?"
Hermione pointed to the rounded one on the right.
"Right, Hermione, It's simple. You go back for Ron, take the broomsticks up past the dog and go find a teacher. Alex and I won't be able to handle whatever is on the other side of that door alone." Harry stated.
"What? No way are you coming with me! I won't let you." Alex shouted.
"You are not pulling the selfless Gryffindor act again with me little brother. And you can't stop me from coming." Harry stared down Alex until he broke.
"Fine, but Hermione still has to get help."
"B-but… what if Snape or is in there? Or You-Know-Who?" Hermione asked tearfully.
"Then it's better that you go the opposite direction." Harry said handing Hermione the rounded vial.
"Plus, I've already beat him once, I'll be fine. And I'll protect Harry too." Alex smiled at Hermione.
"Oh Alex!" Hermione ran up to Alex and hugged him tight.
"Hermione!"
She let go quickly and said, "Don't you dare get hurt, I can't have another friend hurt. Same goes for you Harry!" She took a sip of the potion and shivered, heading for the flames. She took a deep breath and headed through the flames.
Alex turned from watching Hermione to find that Harry had already taken his sip of the potion and was holding out the vial to Alex. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get going."
Alex nodded. He took the vial from Harry and drank the last of it. Then the twins went side by side into the next challenge.
A/N: There you have it! They've gone beneath the school! With Harry! You know I couldn't leave him out on such fun! I really felt Harry showing his Slytherin side in parts of this chapter… maybe it's just me though.
I will note, just in case some of you are confused, this follows
very closely on book events inside the chamber, not really the movie events. So if you've only watched the movie… Surprise!
See you all next week!
NINJA OUT!
*Taken directly from J.K. Rowling's 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' published by Scholastic Press (NOT MINE)