The potion made her feel like ice. Alessia stepped through the purple flames, unharmed, and raced back into the room to Ron and Hermione, scrunching her nose at the smell of the troll as she went.

"Hermione!" Alessia called out, tearing back into the room and stopping next to her and Ron, who was still knocked out. "We have to get Dumbledore."

"How?"

The broomsticks that Harry and Alessia had used still lay on the floor by the door leading to the flock of key-birds.

"Those," Alessia pointed at the brooms that were discarded several feet away from them. She looked at Hermione. "Do you know how to fly?"

"I-I'm not like you or Harry, but-"

"Do - you - know - how?" Alessia said slowly, growing impatient.

"Ye-Yes."

"Good. Let's go."

Pulling an unconscious Ronald Weasley onto the broom behind her, she led the way out, flying through the doorways, avoiding the surviving Devil's Snare, and back out the trapdoor, dodging the snapping jaws of Fluffy. Hermione tumbled onto the floor and slammed the door shut in the three-headed dog's face. Alessia landed and Ron slumped off the side of the broom.

"Shite!" Alessia exclaimed. "Harry's Cloak is still inside. We could've used it."

"No need for that," a calm, but familiar voice said quietly from behind her.

"Professor!" Hermione yelped as the Potions Master stepped out of the shadows.

"What do you think you're doing?" Professor Snape asked the girls.

Overcome by relief and gratitude, Alessia lunged forward and hugged him. Taken aback, Professor Snape looked down at her with a raised eyebrow, pushing her away gently.

"Sorry," Alessia mumbled. Her voice shook, but she spoke loud enough for him to hear, "We know it's Quirrell - or at least Harry and I do. Harry's down there with him now. You-Know-Who might be there too. We need your help - we need to find Professor Dumbledore."

"Come with me," Professor Snape commanded, starting to walk away.

"What about Ron, Professor Snape?"

Professor Snape stopped. Turning around, he looked at Hermione with an impassive expression. "Stay with him, Miss Granger," he told her. "We'll return shortly."

The Potions Master swept through the halls with Alessia on his heels. "The headmaster has just returned from London," Professor Snape said. "He'll be in his study."

They reached a gargoyle and the Potions teacher uttered the password before the statue leapt out of the way to let them through. After Professor Snape knocked on the door, a gentle voice let them know to come in.

"Headmaster," Professor Snape said. "I-"

"Yes, Severus," Professor Dumbledore interrupted, peering over half-moon spectacles. "I can see you've brought someone with you."

"Professor," Alessia said, stepping forward. "We need your help."

"What with?" the Hogwarts headmaster asked, scanning Alessia with piercing blue eyes.

The girl was still trembling, her hair in flyaways and random strands pulled loose. "The Philosopher's Stone, sir."

Alessia had expected Professor Dumbledore to look shocked, but he simply rose from his chair and ushered his guests out the door. Trotting behind the men, Alessia followed them back to the third-floor corridor where Hermione sat next to Ron on the floor.

When they arrived, the headmaster turned to Professor Snape, "Take Mr. Weasley back to the Hospital Wing. Miss McKinnon, Miss Granger, you two will go with them and wait for Mr. Potter's and my return."

The walk to the Hospital Wing felt like several miles. Ron was unconscious in Professor Snape's arms and his head lay limp, blood mixing with his red hair. Madam Pomfrey tended to him wordlessly when they arrived. When Professor Snape departed, likely to go assist Dumbledore, Hermione and Alessia sat on adjacent beds, facing each other.

"How do you know it was Quirrell?" Hermione asked, barely loud enough for Alessia to hear.

"There was a troll in the next room. You all assumed Professor Snape had been the one to let the troll in at Halloween, but Quirrell was the one who rushed in to inform us all. The troll was Quirrell's part in the protection. I reckon it wasn't a coincidence."

It seemed like hours before Professor Dumbledore entered the Hospital Wing with Harry. The girls sat in silence as Madam Pomfrey examined him.

Over the next three days, word spread that Harry Potter and his friends were responsible for the avoidance of another uprising by the Dark Lord. The rumors were ridiculous. Something about Ron wrestling a troll reached the group's ears. ("I wish," Ron had said, laughing.) Before they were set to try to visit Harry in the hospital, Hermione pulled Alessia aside.

"I realized something," she told Alessia, who had her left arm in a sling.

"What?"

"You said all our first names that night."

Alessia's cheeks turned pink. "I know, Hermione."

With wide grins, they snatched Ron away from Lavender Brown and Pavarti Patil and pulled him out of the Gryffindor common room, making their way to see Harry.

"Please, Madam Pomfrey?" they begged the nurse.

"No!"

"Just five minutes," Harry's voice echoed from behind her.

Madam Pomfrey turned her head towards him. "Absolutely not. You need rest."

"But you let in Professor Dumbledore."

"Yes, but the headmaster is a very different case…. You need rest!"

"I am resting," Harry said. The other three were fidgeting outside the door. "Look! I'm lying down and everything."

Madam Pomfrey let them in. "Five minutes only."

"Harry!" Hermione launched herself towards him, but stopped when she reached his bedside. "Oh, Harry, we were so worried. Alessia thought she was too late. We ran into Professor Snape - he brought Alessia to see Dumbledore. She was right, wasn't she? It was Quirrell?"

"Yes, but-" Harry began.

"The whole school's talking," Ron cut him off. "I heard some stupid story about how I wrestled a troll and another about how Alessia had to walk through fire-"

"Well, that part's true," Alessia said. "Although, I had help from Professor Snape. Right, Harry?"

He nodded. Ron continued, rolling his eyes, "Whatever. Point is, the stories are mad. What really happened?"

Harry told them about how he had faced Professor Quirrell and learned that he was responsible for the troll on Halloween. He told them about how Professor Snape had tried to save him when his broom was trying to buck him off. He told them about Quirrell trying to get the Stone. He told them about what happened when Quirrell took off his turban and Hermione shouted in shock, right into Alessia's ear.

"Blimey, Hermione," Alessia groaned. "Harry - what happened to the Stone?"

"It's gone - destroyed. Dumbledore told me."

Ron and Hermione gaped. Alessia sighed. "So Flamel," Ron said finally. "He's just going to die?"

"Professor Dumbledore put it nicely - what was it? 'To the well-organized mind, death is but the greatest adventure' or something."

"I always said he was off his rocker," Ron said of his hero, impressed by how crazy the man was.

"Ron!" Alessia scolded, but her chiding went unacknowledged.

Harry examined his friends. He opened his mouth to say something, but seemed to have changed his mind about what. "What happened after you left, Alessia?"

Alessia told him. "When I told Dumbledore, he didn't even ask me how we knew about it, he just led me and Professor Snape back," she finished. "And, well, you know the rest."

"Do you think he meant for you to do it?" Ron asked. "Sending you your father's Cloak and everything?"

"Well," Hermione exploded. "If he had, that would mean - he must've - that's terrible. I mean, you could have gotten killed."

"No, it isn't," Harry said thoughtfully. "I think he knows everything that happens around here. He's a funny man, Dumbledore. Maybe he wanted to give me a chance - I don't know. Instead of stopping us, he made sure we knew everything we needed to to help us. It's almost like he thought I had the right to face Voldemort…."

The others shuddered at the mention of the Dark Lord. "Why do you insist on saying his name?" Alessia asked.

Harry considered her for a second, tilting his head. "Dumbledore says to always use the proper name for things. 'Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself'."

"Yeah," Ron said with a proud smile. "He's off his rocker."

Harry continued, "Voldemort killed my parents - I don't want to be more afraid of someone who tried to kill me." Alessia narrowed her eyes, furrowing her brow, deep in thought; she sat on the foot of Harry's bed.

"What the hell happened to you?" Harry nodded his head at Alessia, who had revealed her injury to him for the first time when she had rested herself near Harry's feet. She had been hiding it behind Hermione while they spoke.

"One of the Ravenclaw Beaters knocked me off my broom," Alessia told him. "I was out next to you for about a day, actually. I'm just glad Wood didn't blame me for the loss. I thought he was going to kill me when the team came to visit, but they just wanted to make sure I was okay. Worst loss we've had in three hundred years. But hey, you'll be back as Seeker next year and I'll be a Chaser like I'm supposed to be."

"So you're going to play?"

"Of course!"

"You have to come to the end-of-the-year feast, Harry," Hermione said, changing the subject before the other three started to banter about Quidditch.

"Slytherin won," Alessia rolled her eyes, showing some irritation. Trying to sound more optimistic, she said, "But you know, end of the year! You have to come!" She was bouncing on the end of the bed, clutching his hand, grinning genuinely.

At that moment, Madam Pomfrey bustled over. "You've had nearly fifteen minutes! Now, OUT!" she demanded firmly.

"Another year gone!" Professor Dumbledore's speech began. The Great Hall was covered in emerald green and silver to commemorate Slytherin's win of the House Cup. Harry and Ron sat together; from her seat next to Hermione and across from Harry, Alessia watched Professor Snape's eyes glinting with pride. Her focus darted to Draco Malfoy, who had avoided her since their detention. He locked onto her gaze and Alessia saw him purse his lips before breaking the connection.

"Now as I understand it," Professor Dumbledore was saying. "The House Cup needs awarding. And the points stand thus: In fourth, Gryffindor with two hundred and sixty-two points."

There was a scattered applause and lots of grumbling from the Gryffindors.

"Bloody hell," Alessia muttered, noticing Professor McGonagall's disappointed expression.

"In third, Hufflepuff with three hundred and fifty-two," the headmaster continued. The Hufflepuffs clapped a little.

"In second, Ravenclaw with four hundred and twenty-six points." The Ravenclaws whooped and cheered.

"And in first place, with four hundred and seventy-two points, Slytherin."

The Slytherins banged on the table, excitement storming the Great Hall from their side. Draco was grinning widely, eyes gloating as he looked at Alessia. He twitched his eyebrows at her to worsen the deal. "Ugh," she exclaimed. "He makes me sick."

"Who?" Hermione whispered.

"Malfoy."

Just as the cheers died down, Professor Dumbledore continued, "Yes, well done Slytherin, well done Slytherin. However, some recent events must be taken into account."

Alessia saw Malfoy's smile fade slightly and she snorted quietly. Professor Snape looked both shocked and irritated as he glanced at Professor Dumbledore. The room was still.

"I have a few last-minute points to award," the headmaster announced. "First, to Mr. Ronald Weasley, for the best-played game of chess that Hogwarts has seen these many years - fifty points."

Ron's face turned purple. The Gryffindors applauded happily and Percy was heard shouting to the other prefects, "My youngest brother! He beat McGonagall's chess set! That's my brother!"

Professor Dumbledore continued, "To Miss Hermione Granger, for her cool use of intellect when others were in grave peril."

The Gryffindors whooped and clapped again. Alessia hugged her. "I never did thank you!" Hermione had her face in her hands, hiding tears of joy.

The Great Hall quieted when Professor Dumbledore spoke again, "To Miss Alessia McKinnon, for her resourcefulness and indefinite loyalty even in the most fearful of times - fifty points."

Gryffindor's screams drowned the thoughts that Alessia could have had. All she managed was a small, embarrassed grin before catching George's eye. He gave her thumbs up and her smile widened, looking more genuine.

"To Mr. Harry Potter," Professor Dumbledore's voice echoed across the Great Hall. "For pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor House sixty points."

Chills ran down Alessia's spine; the shouts were deafening. People who did the math were yelling to others: Gryffindor was tied with Slytherin at four hundred and seventy-two points.

Silence rippled across the dining hall as Dumbledore raised his hand. "There are all kinds of courage. It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends. I award ten points… to Mr. Neville Longbottom."

Alessia looked at him - he was seated next to her. "I told him what you did," she said, bumping him playfully. Neville was white with shock and Alessia moved out of the way just in time to avoid having her injured arm crushed by the crowd of students lunging in to embrace the boy who had allowed Gryffindor to win the House Cup.

The Great Hall was loud as ever. "Which means," Dumbledore's voice carried over the rumbling of applause and cheering. "Assuming that my calculations are correct, a change of decoration is in order."

The headmaster clapped his hands and green and silver turned crimson and gold. The Gryffindor lion replaced the Slytherin serpent. Alessia watched Professor Snape shake Professor McGonagall's hand with a horrified, forced smile on his face. Harry was nudging Ron and pointing at Malfoy who looked as if he was about to burst into tears. "Nothing could ruin this day," Alessia thought.