Author's note: Hey! Are you ready for another chapter? Sorry for not posting yesterday! My Wifi was down again, on the bright side, I finally cleaned my room. Shout out to Rei a wandering Shinigami for reviewing last chapter, thank you very much! I hope you enjoy! We are almost done!
Ch.21: Through the trapdoor
I really have no idea how I got through all my exams, I half expected Voldemort to burst through the door and off me. I did the best I could on my exams, with my forehead throbbing continuously, since we were in the forest. Ron, Draco, and Hermione seemed more worried about their exams, than Voldemort coming back. Then again they weren't seeing him every night in their nightmares, either. Our very last exam for first years was History of Magic, when it was over we all cheered.
The four of us wandered to the lake and flopped under a tree. Hermione was still going over her test answers, thinking out loud.
"You could look a bit more cheerful Hollie, we've got a week before we find out how bad we've done, there's no need to worry yet." Ron said looking at my frown.
"It's not that Ron. My head keeps hurting." I rubbed my head wishing the pain would disappear.
"Go to Madam Pomfrey." Hermione suggested.
"I'm not ill!" I exclaimed, "I think, it's a warning. . . It means danger's coming."
"Like it the forest?" Draco asked and I nodded.
"Hollie, relax, Hermione's right, the Stone's safe as long as Dumbledore's around." Ron said in a chipper voice.
I nodded again, but I felt like I was missing something important. It felt like, when I would forget to unplug Aunt Petunia's hair dryer. Hagrid would never betray Dumbledore. He would never tell anyone how to get past Fluffy . . . Never. . . BUT-
I sat up suddenly,
"Where are you going?" Ron asked sleepily,
"I've just thought of something!" My hand begun to shake, "We have to go see Hagrid now!"
"Why?"
My three best friends panted behind me.
"Don't you think it's a bit odd." I stalked across the grounds, "That what Hagrid wants more than anything, is a dragon, and a stranger turns up and happens to have one. How many people have illegal dragon eggs in their pockets? Why didn't I see it before?"
The others seemed to not understand what I was getting at.
Hagrid was sitting outside his house, shelling peas.
"Hullo." he smiled, "Finished your exams? Got time fer a drink?"
"Yes please." Ron said, but I cut him off,
"No thank you. We're in a hurry. Hagrid, you know the night you won Norbert? What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?"
"Dunno." Hagrid said casually, "He wouldn't take his cloak off. Mighta bin a dragon dealer."
"What did you talk to him about, Hagrid? Did you mention Hogwarts, at all?"
"Mighta come up." Hagrid tried to remember, "Told him I was gamekeeper here. . . He asked what sorta creatures I look after. . . Said what I'd always really wanted was a dragon. . . He said he had a dragon egg. . . He had ter make sure, I could handle it. . . So, I told him, after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy. ."
"And did he seem interested in Fluffy?" I asked trying to keep 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 who to calm him down, jus' playing a bit o' music an' he'll go straight off ter sleep -"
Hagrid looked horrified,
"I shouldn'ta told yeh that! Where yeh goin'?"
I took off running and the others followed. I didn't speak until we came to a halt in the entrance hall.
"We've got to go to Dumbledore." I felt my chest begin to tighten, "Hagrid told the stranger how to get past Fluffy. Where's Dumbledore's office?"
Draco led us down the hall, "I think it's this way."
A voice rang out across the hall, "What are you four doing inside?" Professor McGonagall called out, holding a large pile of books in her arms.
"We need to see Professor Dumbledore, now." Hermione said bravely.
"He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once." she told us.
"He's gone!" I said frantically, "Now?"
"Professor Dumbledore is a very great wizard, Miss Potter, he has many demands on his time-"
"But this is important, Professor!" I said throwing caution to the winds, "It's about the Sorcerer's Stone!"
Professor McGonagall's books tumbled out of her hands.
"How do you know?" she spluttered.
"It – it doesn't matter how I know. What matters is that I think Sna- someone is going to try and steal the stone, soon. We've got to talk to Professor Dumbledore, before it's too late!"
She looked at us shocked,
"Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow, but rest assured, no one can possibly steal it, it's too well protected."
"But, Professor-"
"Hollie, I know what I'm talking about," she said picking her books back up, "Now I promise I'll keep an eye on things, until the Headmaster returns. Now leave this to the teachers alright? Why don't you go outside and enjoy the sunshine?"
We agreed, but we didn't go back outside.
After Professor McGonagall was out of earshot, I said,
"It's tonight. Snape's found out all he's need and now he's got Dumbledore out of the way-"
Hermione gasped, and we wheeled around,
Snape was standing right behind me.
"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 just um-" I trailed off, not knowing what I could say.
"You should be more careful. Three Gryffindors and a Slytherin, hanging around like this. People will think you're-" he paused, "Up to something."
We turned to go outside, but Snape stopped me,
"Be warned Potter, no nighttime wandering tonight. I'm not as forgiving as Professor McGonagall, I will personally make sure you are expelled. Good day to you." he strode off towards the staffroom.
I don't think he could be anymore guilty.
After a brief discussion, we decided Hermione would be the best one to keep an eye on Snape. She's going to pretend to be looking for Flitwick to ask him about her exam.
Draco joined Ron and I, back in the empty Gryffindor common room, looking sorely out of place.
A few minutes later, the Fat Lady swung open and Hermione came in.
"I'm sorry!" she wailed, "Snape came out and asked me what I was doing, so I said I was waiting for Flitwick, and Snape went to get him. I've only just got away. I don't know where Snape went."
"Well, that's it then, isn't it?" I said, trying not to cry, "I'm going out of here tonight, and I'm going to try and get the Stone first."
"You're mad!" Ron squeaked.
"You'll get expelled!" Hermione added.
"No. You can not possible think that is a good idea! I will personally go get McGonagall to restrain you all night if I have to." Draco said hotly, "I don't care if you're the Girl Who Lived! You are an eleven year old girl, let the adults handle it."
I glared at them,
"Don't you understand! I don't care about getting expelled! Voldemort will come back and he will destroy everything. He killed my parents, remember? He tried to kill me when I was a one year old, for goodness sakes! He is a mad man. I'm going through that trapdoor tonight! Nothing any of you say is going to STOP ME!" I shouted.
"You're right, Hollie." Hermione said in a small voice.
"I'll use my invisibility cloak." I told them.
"But will it cover all four of us?"
"All four of us?"
"Oh no. no. no. no. Weaselbee. I am clearly the only one with any sense left in this group. I am not risking my life for this. No way." Draco said backing away.
Then Ron got angry,
"You Slytherins are all the same, big bunch of cowards!"
"What I'm a cowards, because I'm not foolish and reckless like you?" Draco yelled back at him.
"Fellas!" I stood in between them, "Now is not the time! Draco, no one is making you go. Ron, Hermione you shouldn't go either."
"Oh, come off it, you don't think we'd let you go alone?" Ron said.
"Of course not. We're all in this together." Hermione agreed, "How do you think you'd get the Stone without us?"
I turned my attention to Draco,
"Please don't tell anyone, Draco. Can you at least do that for me?"
"Fine." he said under a mask of arrogance, "But you owe me."
He backed away leaving the common room.
It hurt my feeling a lot, that he didn't believe in me, but I do have Ron and Hermione. After the three of us ate dinner, Draco didn't show up for it, we sat in the now filled Gryffindor common room. I haven't seen Professor McGonagall since I talked to her earlier, she must really be keeping an eye on the third floor. Slowly the common room began to empty. We played with Matilda, as we waited for the rest to clear out.
I ran up and got my cloak, from my trunk. My eyes fell on the wooden flute Hagrid got me for Christmas. I pocketed it to use on Fluffy.
"We'd better put the Cloak on here, and make sure it covers all three of us- if Filch spots one of our feet wandering alone on it's own-"
"What are you doing?" a voice said from the corner of the room, it was Neville.
"Nothing, Neville, nothing." I quickly put the cloak behind my back.
"You're sneaking out!"
"No. We're not." I lied, "Why don't you go to bed, Neville?"
"You can't go out!" he stood in front of us, "You'll get caught. We'll lose the lead for the House Cup."
"You don't understand." I told him, "This is more important than a silly cup."
"I won't let you." he raised his fists, "I'll fight you!"
Neville's chubby, but he's not nearly the size of Dudley or Uncle Vernon. I've had years of being their punching bag, I doubt Neville could punch as hard as them. I'm pretty sure I would win that fight.
Not wanting to hurt him, I turned to Hermione,
"Do something."
Hermione stepped forward,
"Neville, I'm really sorry about this."
She raised her wand, "Petrificus Totalus!" she cried, pointing at Neville.
His arms snapped to his sides and his legs sprung together. He fell flat on his face, stiff as a board.
Ron turned him over, on his back.
"What did you do to him?" I whispered.
"It's the full Body-Bind." she explained.
"Remind me not to make you angry ever."
Ron looked at her,
"You're brilliant, scary, but brilliant."
We left Neville in the common room and started towards the room Fluffy occupies. We didn't see another soul until the third corridor, a small hooded figure ran straight into us.
"I swear Peeves, one word, and I'll turn the Bloody Baron on you!" a voice whispered, trying to sound intimidating.
"Draco?"
"Hollie?"
"What are you doing here?"
"Well I have apparently lost my bloody mind. I tried to talk myself out of it, but I just can't let you go without me. Can't let my best friend get murdered right? You lot wouldn't stand a chance without me, of course!"
"Really, you're coming with us?"
"No I'm just going for a random night stroll, yes really!"
We made our way up the corridor, there was a body on the ground, covered in an emerald green cloak.
"Professor McGonagall!" I dashed out from under the Invisibility cloak, to her side.
Please don't be dead, I thought to myself.
I let out a breath of relief, she had a pulse.
The others crowded around her,
"Is – is she. ." Hermione couldn't get the words out.
"No. Thank goodness. She must have been knocked out."
Mrs. Norris, bounded up the steps staring at the four of us.
"Mrs. Norris." I said looking at her.
She seemed surprised, that I pet the top of her head.
"Can you go get Mr. Filch please. Professor McGonagall has been hurt and she needs help, badly."
I swear the cat nod and turned to go back down the stairs.
"Thank you."
"How did you do that? She only listens to Filch."
"Sometimes it pays to be nice, plus I'm pretty sure I'm Eliza Thornberry."
"Who's Eliza?" Ron asked.
"And why does she have a berry of thorns?" Draco added.
Hermione and I laughed at, Ron and Draco's confusion.
We quickly opened the door before Filch could bust us. As the door creaked open, low, rumbling growls met our ears. All three dog's noses sniffed in our direction. A harp was discarded near the beasts feet. I began to play random notes on my flute, at the first note, the beast's eye's started to droop.
I played non stop, as we crept towards the trapdoor.
Ron gritted his teeth, he and Draco pulled the trapdoor open.
"What can you see?" Hermione said anxiously."
"Nothing – just black – there's no way of climbing down, we'll just have to drop."
None of the others wanted to jump first, so I gave my flute to Hermione, and she began to play.
I lowered myself into the hole, until I was holding on by my fingertips.
"See you in a minute, I hope. . ."
I let go. Cold, damp, air rushed past me as I fell down, down, down,
And -