Chapter 21

It was now 10 and the group had just met at the door, Nagi was going to wait outside the door to keep watch for anyone and to keep them away. He wasn't happy about it though. "Now are you all sure you want to do this with me?" Harry asked his group. They all gave the boy a look. "Yah, stupid question." the group entered the room. A harp was playing in the room and Fluffy was sound asleep.

"Awww. He's adorable when he's asleep." Theo and Hermione said with smiles. Harry and the others nodded. Together they were able to move Fluffy's paw from the trapdoor and they got it opened.

It lead down into an expanse of darkness. "Alright. I'm going to go first, and I'll call you guys down when it's safe." Blaise told the group. He jumped down. Blaise landed on something soft. "It's a soft landing!" he called up.

"Okay, we're coming down." Draco called down. Soon, Draco then Harry landed next to him. Neville following them. "Good thing this plant thing was here." Draco muttered.

"Lucky? Look at yourselves!" Neville yelled, grabbing Harry, who he had landed next to, and dragging him to the side. Draco and Blaisse looked down to see that the weird vines were wrapped tightly around their bodies, already around their waists. The 2 boys let out startled yells. "Calm down it's Devil's Snare." Neville told them.

"Like telling us what it is is going to calm us down?" Blaise grumbled.

"If you don't calm down, then it'll kill you quicker. Atleast calming down will give me a chance to remember how to get rid of this thing." Neville told the 2 slightly panicked slytherins, who finally calmed down. "Alright. Devil's snare likes the dark and damp. Then sunlight or fire is what we need to defeat it." Neville told them. "Lumou!" he said, using a stronger variation of the lumos spell. The bright light caused the vines to release the boys and they fell a few feet down onto the stone underneath. Harry and Neville took the stairs at the edge that they had gotten to.

"Alright, let's go." Blaise said, and the group headed down. After a while of walking, they heard what sounded like a lot of fluttering and flapping. They entered a large room. There were keys with wings flying in a flurry of feathers. The group ran across the chamber in case they decided to attack, but they didn't.

"Strange." Neville admitted. They all looked at the door, not surprised to find it locked.

"We're looking for a large key. Silver like the doorknob." Draco told the group. That's when they noticed that there were 3 broomsticks on the wall of the chamber.

"Who's going to go up?" Neville wondered.

"I will, and so will Draco and Blaise. Neville, when we catch the key, we're going to toss it to you so you can open the door. Kay?" they all nodded. "Then let's go." It took them all of 10 minutes to get the key and have Neville open the door. After walking a little while later, they came across a large chess board.

"Neat!" Blaise said, always a lover of chess. They made to go across the board, but the white pawn pieces brought swords across to block them off. They went back to the black pieces. "Do you think we have to join to get across?" Blaisde asked. In answer, the knight next to them nodded. "Got it. I'll be a knight. Draco will be a rook. Neville a bishop. And Harry, you'll take the place of the queen." Blaise said, a stradegy in his mind already. The pieces that had been named left the board, though the knights horse stayed, which gave Blaise a good view of the board.

The game lasted close to an hour, and Blaise had to work fast a few times to protect one of his friends from being taken. They were all getting tired and when the white queen looked at Blaise, he knew exactly what he had to do. Draco saw this and told blaise not to do it. "As soon as the queen takes me, it'll leave Harry free to check the king." Blaise told the group. They tried to tell him not too, but he made the move. The white queen knocked Blaise off the horse, a piece of stone cutting his forehead. Harry quickly check mated the king before they ran to Blaise's side.

"You okay?" Harry gasped to the boy. He saw Blaise was unconcious. He casted a quick healing charm that stopped the bleeding and closed up the wound. "Will you stay with him Neville?" We only have Dad's, Quirrel's, and Dumbledor's to get past. Please Neville?" Harry asked, not wanting to leave Blaise alone. Neville nodded. "Thanks. What you need to do, is when Blaise comes too, go back to the key chamber and get the brooms, get to Theo and the others and try to find my dad or any other teacher." Harry told the boy. He nodded, and the 2 left through the door.

"I think I'm going to be sick. Let's hurry out of this chamber." Draco mumbled, seeing that a dead troll was in this chamber. They nodded and headed right through. The next chamber had a table and multiple bottles. Draco and Harry worked together to figure out the riddle, before seeing that it was the smallest bottle. "There's only enough for 1 of us." Draco muttered. Harry nodded. "This big one here allows you to go back." there was plenty in it.

"I think it's settled then." Harry took the smallest bottle and downed it. Draco gasped and growled at him.

"Idiot!" Draco groaned.

"Take the one that'll take you back. Get dad, he probably has the potion on him so he could go through." Draco huffed before swallowing his. He looked at his small friend and surprised him by hugging him tightly.

"Please Hade. I beg of you. Please be careful." Draco had Harry in a very tight hold.

"OF course Dray. I promise." Harry told his friend. It was very relunctantly that Draco finally released the boy. Together they went backwards and forwards. Both silently praying for the other to be safe.

Harry went through the flames and came into a dim chamber. In the center of the chamber was the mirror of erised. Infront of the mirror was Quirrel. "Welcome little Snape. I've been expecting you for awhile." Quirrel said, looking at the boy.

"Well isn't that a relief. I thought you'd be expecting the Boy Who Lived." Harry couldn't help the sarcasm in his voice.

"Ah, but I was." Quirrel had an evil look in his eyes. "And he did come. He's right infront of me." Harry cursed to himself. "I know the truth Potter. Well, former Potter, now a Snape." Harry growled at being called a Potter.

'That bastard! I'm a Snape and damn proud of it.' Harry voiced it to the fraud of a professor infront of him. Quirrel chuckled darkly.

"Of course, of course. What was I thinking?" Quirrel mock hummed. Harry desperately felt like growling. So, he did.

"What do you want the stone for Quirrel?" Harry asked.

"Simple. To bring back my master."

"And that would be?" Harry pressured.

"I'm not an idiot Potter. If you don't know, then I'm not going to enlighten you."

"But you're a teacher! The hell you won't enlighten me! It's your damn job!" Harry shouted in frustration. Quirrel started laughing at the boys words and reaction. This was a funny sight, honestly. Harry turned red, realizing he was making a fool of himself infront of the bad guy. He had done so well not to make a fool out of himself all school year. That was Liam's job, not his. He groaned in mortification at the thought.

"Just stay out of my way." Quirrel snapped his fingers and ropes bound Harry, making him lose balance and fall on his side. The man turned back to the mirror. "I know the mirror is the key to getting the stone. But how?" while Quirrel was mumbling to himself, Harry had calmed down. He had also started noticing that his scar was throbbing like crazy. Apparently Voldemort was aware of something Harry wasn't, because it was a definite warning of danger. He pushed the throbbing to the side.

'Alright. Let's think this through. Knowing Dumbledor-I mean, who else's trap or what ever could this be- you probably have to pass some moral test. Like wanting to find the stone but not use it for anything.' Harry's mind stopped as it clicked. 'Oh, that's all it could be. Then we were worried for no reason. No way Quirrel can get it. Alright, just sit back and watch the show Harry. Just watch the show.' So Harry got himself into a sitting position and leaned on one of the pillars next to him.

"I see my self presenting it to my master, but how do I retrieve it? Mater help me." Harry snickered to himself, not expecting Quirrel's master to actually reply.

"Use the boy Quirrel! You imbicile. Use the boy." a voice hissed. The same voice from Christmas Break.

"Snape, get over here." Quirrel ordered, snapping his fingers and releasing the ropes on the boy. Harry stood up cautiously.

'I wonder if I could make a run for it?' Harry thought as he edged closer to Quirrel. 'Nah. He'd cast a curse at me before I got too far.' He was pushed infront of the mirror.

"Tell me what you see Potter." Quirrel told the boy. With a relunctant sigh, Harry looked into the mirror.

His reflection was looking at him, and he looked back. 'So, I want to find the stone. But I don't want to use it. Maybe return it to the Flamels, as it's theirs. But not use it. Immortality sounds lonely, in all actuality.' he thought to himself. His reflection nodded and winked.

'Then so be it.' the mirror thought to the boy. There was a flash and the stone disappeared from the mirror. 'It is back with Nicholas with a note explaining what happened. Not even Dumbledor can fully control me and my magic.' the mirror thought to the boy. Harry grinned.

"Well boy? Where is the stone?" Quirrel growled.

"It's not in the mirror. It was all a ruse to lure you out." Harry told the man. Quirrel shoved him away.

"Lies!" Quirrel screeched angrily. "What do I do?" Quirrel groaned. Harry saw the madness in the man's eyes and was edging away from the now insane person.

"The boy knows where it is." the voice hissed.

"Snape, if the stone's not in the mirror, then where is it?" he asked.

"I don't know." Harry lied easily.

"He lies Quirrel! He lies!" the voice cried. "Let me speak to him Quirrel. I'm not too weak to do this."

"Y-yes master." Quirrel undid his turban and turned around.

"Bloody hell there's a face on the back of your head!" Harry cried in horror and alarm. The face was pale and long with all black eyes and red irises.

"Harry Snape, formly Harry Potter. This is what you did to me the night you vanquished Voldemort."

"Then you shouldn't have been there then." Harry muttered, still in shock before he shook himself out of it. "What the hell were you doing there anyways? I mean, it was just supposed to be Voldemort."

"I wanted to be rid of my destruction. I was hoping to get to Voldemort before he marked you. I was far too late, and got there right as he sent that blasted curse. That resulted in both of us getting caught in the rebound." the face told the boy.

"Who the hell are you anyways?"

"You should know by now Snape." the face narrowed its eyes at the boy. "Now where is the stone? I know you sent it away."

"Sorry, can't give away the secrets of the trade." Harry said cheekily before turning and running towards the exit.

"Stop him!" the voice cried angrily. Fire sprang up around the room, blocking off the exit. Harry cursed. Suddenly a hand grabbed him and the pain exploded in his head.

'Dammit Voldemort! I know I'm in trouble. Stop with the painful warnings.' Harry thought as his mind went foggy. Suddenly there was a scream of pain from behind him and he was released from the grasp. He turned around and backed up. Quirrel's hand was smoking. 'Oh, so Voldemort was sending a bit of his magic through so Quirrel would release me. Okay thanks.' Harry thought, trying to get past the man.

"My hands! They are burned Master!" Quirrel cried in pain.

"Get the boy Quirrel!" Harry looked over, only to be tackled.

"Let go!" Harry yelled. Hands closed around his throat. Harry grabbed the smoking hands to try and pry them off of him. 'A little help!' Harry thought. 'I refuse to die here.' suddenly, Harry felt a surge of magic go through him. His and someone elses. Quirrel and the other face let out twin screams of agony as Quirrel released him and stumbled backwards. Harry stood and watched in horror as Quirrel's body crumbled. Harry didn't notice the black shadow that left Quirrel's body until it was in front of him.

"CURSE YOU CHILD!" the shadow cried, going through the boy and disappearing. Harry fell back to the ground.

As Harry was losing conciousness from the pain that had gone through him when the shadow passed through him, he heard someone crying his name. "HARRY!" Darkness gladly took the boy.