Wow, you're gonna have to bear through the longest chapter in the story so far! It's a way fun chapter though! I know you'll enjoy it. This is the chapter right before the last so this story is almost completed. Which I am both sad and happy about, but don't worry this will not be the last you hear of Harmony! Have fun reading and watch for the last chapter!
Beginning The Real Adventure
Harmony spent half her time during these days worrying for her and her brother. Through every exam she had to force herself to believe that everything was okay and that they were safe. Every time she turned a corner she half expected Voldemort to be right there ready to kill her and Harry. On the days that they checked, there could be no doubt that Fluffy was still alive and well behind the locked door.
Harmony believed she had done well on all her written papers. On the practical ones she believed she did as well as she could have. She'd aced Flitwick's, her pineapple had done a very lively tap dance across the desk. She'd gotten extra on McGonagall's, her mouse had turned into a beautiful snuffbox—the box she had made kind of reminded her of her music box. On Snape's though she didn't know how well she'd done. It always made her nervous when people watched her work, but Snape had practically been on top of her and she swore that he stayed there for half the exam. Her Forgetfulness potion had turned out perfect after all that, but knowing Snape he'd find some excuse to give her a worse grade than she deserved.
Although Harmony would never let on the stabbing pains in her left fore arm distracted her a little. It had been going on ever since the trip to the forest. She found she'd had a worse time sleeping than normal the old nightmare had just gotten worse. Now there was a hooded figure standing in the room while she watched from the crib and the figure was dripping blood.
Harmony thought of the Stone often and so did Harry, but Ron and Hermione didn't seem as concerned. Of course Voldemort scared them, but he wasn't visiting them in their dreams, and they were so busy with their studying they didn't have much time to fret about what Snape or anyone else might be up to.
Their very last exam was History of Magic, which Harmony knew she'd done okay on. History was her least favorite subject and she honestly didn't really care about her grade.
After the exam they wandered down to the lake and flopped under a tree. The Weasley twins and Lee Jordan were tickling the tentacles of a giant squid, which was basking in the warm shallows.
They talked of the end of studying and things of that nature. Harmony couldn't help notice that Harry was rubbing his scar. It was hurting her too, but she'd learned that it really didn't help the pain much to rub.
"I wish I knew what this means!" Harry burst out angrily. "My—scar keeps hurting—"
"Mine too." Harmony agreed.
"I mean it's happened before, but never as often as this." Harry finished.
"Mine's never hurt before now." Harmony said.
"Go to Madam Pomfrey," Hermione suggested.
"Neither of us are ill," said Harry. "I think it's a warning . . . it means danger's coming . . ."
Ron couldn't get worked up, it was too hot.
"Relax, Hermione's right, the Stone's safe as long as Dumbledore's around. Anyway, we've never had any proof Snape found out how to get past Fluffy. He nearly had his leg ripped off once, he's not going to try it again in a hurry. And Neville will play Quidditch for England before Hagrid lets Dumbledore down. "
Harmony nodded, but she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something she'd forgotten to do. Harmony knew this feeling didn't have anything to do with school, though. She watched an owl flutter toward the school across the bright blue sky, a note clamped in its mouth. Hagrid had been one of the only ones to send her a letter. Hagrid would never betray Dumbledore. Hagrid would never tell anyone how to get past Fluffy . . . never . . . but—
Harmony suddenly flew onto her feet.
"Where're you going?" said Ron sleepily.
"I've just thought of something," said Harmony. She'd felt her cheeks flush and she knew she must be pale. "We've got to go and see Hagrid, now"
"Why?" panted Harry hurrying to keep up.
"Because, my dear brother, don't you think it's a bit odd," said Harmony scrambling up the grassy slope, "that what Hagrid wants more than anything else is a dragon, and a stranger turns up who just happens to have an egg in his pocket? How many people wander around with dragon eggs if it's against wizarding law? Lucky they found Hagrid, don't you think? Why didn't I see it before?"
"What are you talking about?" said Ron, but Harmony sprinting across the grounds toward the forest, didn't answer.
Hagrid was sitting in an armchair outside his house; his trousers and sleeves were rolled up, and he was shelling peas into a large bowl.
"Hullo," he said, smiling. "Finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?"
"Yes, please," said Ron, but Harmony cut him off.
"No, we're in a hurry. Hagrid, I've got to ask you something. You know that night you won Norbert? What did the stranger you were playing with look like?"
"Dunno," said Hagrid casually, "he wouldn't take his cloak off."
He saw the four of them look stunned and raised his eyebrows.
"It's not that unusual, yeh get a lot o' funny people in the Hog's Head—that's one o' the pubs down in the village. Mighta bin a dragon dealer, mightn' he? I never saw his face, he kept his hood up."
Harmony sank down next to the bowl of peas.
"What did you talk to him about, Hagrid? Did you mention Hogwarts at all?"
"Mighta come up," said Hagrid, frowning as he tried to remember. "Yeah . . . he asked what I did, an' I told him I was gamekeeper here . . . He asked a bit about the sorta creatures I look after . . . so I told him . . . an' I said what I'd always really wanted was a dragon . . . an' then . . . I can' remember too well, 'cause he kept buyin' me drinks . . . Let's see . . . yeah, then he said he had the dragon egg an' we could play cards fer it if I wanted . . . but he had ter be sure I could handle it, he didn' want it ter go ter any old home . . . So I told him, after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy . . ."
"And did he—did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Harmony asked trying to keep her voice level.
"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 how to calm him down, jus' play him a bit o' music an' he'll go straight off ter sleep—"
Hagrid suddenly looked horrified.
"I shouldn'ta told yeh that!" he blurted out. "Forget I said it! Hey—where yeh goin'?"
Harmony, Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn't speak to each other at all until they came to a halt in the entrance hall, which seemed very cold, and gloomy after the grounds.
"We've got to go to Dumbledore," said Harmony. "Hagrid told that stranger how to get past Fluffy, and it was either Snape or Voldemort under that cloak—it must've been easy, once he'd got Hagrid drunk. I just hope Dumbledore believes us."
"Firenze might back us up if Bane doesn't stop him. Where's Dumbledore's office?" Harry asked.
They looked around, as if hoping to see a sign pointing them in the right direction. They had never been told where Dumbledore lived, nor did they know anyone who had been sent to see him.
"We'll just have to—" Harry began, but a voice suddenly rang across the hall.
It was Professor McGonagall, carrying a large pile of books.
"We want to see Professor Dumbledore," said Harmony.
"See Professor Dumbledore?" Professor McGonagall repeated, as thought this was a very fishy thing to want to do. "Why?"
"It's sort of secret," Harry said.
Harmony watched as Professor McGonagall's nostrils flared.
"Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago," she said coldly. "He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once."
"He's gone?" said Harmony in awe. "Now?"
"Professor Dumbledore is a great wizard, Potter, he has many demand on his time—"
"But this is important." Harry said.
"Something you have to say is more important than the Ministry of Magic, Potter?"
"Look," said Harmony, deciding to throw it out there, "Professor—it's about the Sorcerer's Stone—"
Whatever Professor McGonagall had expected, it wasn't that. The books she was carrying tumbled out of her arms, but she didn't pick them up.
"How do you know--?" she spluttered.
"Professor, I think—I know—that Sn—that someone is going to try and steal the Stone. I've got to talk to Professor Dumbledore." Harmony said.
She eyed her with a mixture of shock and suspicion.
"Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow," she said finally. "I don't know how you found out about the Stone, but rest assured no one can possibly steal it, it's too well protected."
"But Professor—" Harry put in.
"Potter, I know what I'm talking about," she said shortly. She bent down and gathered the fallen books. "I suggest you all go back outside and enjoy the sunshine."
But they didn't.
"It's tonight," said Harmony, once she was sure Professor McGonagall was out of earshot. "Snape's going through the trapdoor tonight. He's found out everything he needs, and now he's got Dumbledore out of the way. "
"He sent that note, I bet the Ministry of Magic will get a real shock when Dumbledore turns up. " Harry said.
"But what can we—"
Hermione gasped. The rest of them wheeled round.
Snape was standing there.
"Good afternoon," he said smoothly.
They stared at him.
"You shouldn't be inside on a day like this," he said, with an odd, twisted smile.
"We were—" Harry began, it sounded to Harmony as if he didn't think through what to say next.
"You want to be more careful," said Snape. "Hanging around like this, people will think you're up to something. And Gryffindor really can't afford to lose any more points, can it?"
Harmony flushed. They turned to go outside, but Snape called them back.
"Be warned, Potter . . ." Snape began then realized again that there were two of them. "Either of you—any more nighttime wanderings and I will personally make sure you are expelled. Good day to you."
He strode off in the direction of the staffroom.
Out on the stone steps, Harry and Harmony turned to the others.
"Right, here's what we've got to do," Harry whispered urgently. "One of us has got to keep an eye on Snape—wait outside the staffroom and follow him if he leaves it."
"Hermione, you'd better to do that." Harmony said.
"Why me?"
"It's obvious," said Ron. "You can pretend to be waiting for Professor Flitwick, you know." He put on a high voice, "Oh Professor Flitwick, I'm so worried, I think I got question fourteen b wrong . . ."
"Oh, shut up," said Hermione, but she agreed to go and watch out for Snape.
"And we'd better stay outside the third-floor corridor," Harmony told the other two. "Come on."
But that part of the plan didn't work. No sooner had they reached the door separating Fluffy from the rest of the school than Professor McGonagall turned up again and this time, she lost her temper.
"I suppose you think you're harder to get past than a pack of enchantments!" she stormed. "Enough of this nonsense! If I hear you've come anywhere near here again, I'll take another fifty points from Gryffindor! Yes, Weasley from my own House!"
They went back to the common room. Harry had just said, "At least Hermione's still on Snape's tail," when the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open and Hermione came in.
"I'm sorry, Harry!" 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, and I've only just got away, I don't know where Snape went."
"Well, that's it then, isn't it?" Harry said.
Harmony knew what he was thinking and she whole-heartedly agreed.
"I'm going out of here tonight and I'm going to try and get to the Stone first."
"I'm going with you Harry," Harmony said. Harry was about to argue when Ron broke in.
"You're mad!" said Ron.
"You can't!" said Hermione. "After what McGonagall and Snape have said? You'll be expelled!"
"SO WHAT?" The twins shouted in unison.
"Don't you understand? If Snape gets hold of the Stone, Voldemort's coming back!" Harry said.
"Haven't you heard what it was like when he was trying to take over? There won't be any Hogwarts to get expelled from! He'll flatten it, or turn it into a school for the Dark Arts!" Harmony continued.
"Losing points doesn't matter anymore, can't you see? D'you think he'll leave you and your families alone if Gryffindor wins the House Cup? If we get caught before we reach the Stone, well, I'll have to go back to the Dursleys and wait for Voldemort to find me there . . ." Harry said taking the rant again.
"And I'll just go back to the Muggle home or somewhere else and wait for him too. Either way it's only dying a bit later then we could have, because we're never going over to the Dark Side!" Harmony said sincerely.
"We're going through that trapdoor tonight and nothing you two say is going to stop us!" Harry said.
"Voldemort killed our parents, remember?" Harmony ended.
They both glared at the other two.
"You're right," said Hermione in a small voice.
"We'll use the Invisibility Cloak," said Harry. "It's lucky we got it back."
"But will it cover all four of us?" said Ron.
"All—all four of us?" Harry said.
"Oh, come off it, you don't think we'd let you two go alone?"
"Of course not," said Hermione briskly. "How do you think you'd get to the Stone without us? I'd better go and look through my books, there might be something useful . . ."
"But if we get caught, you two will be expelled, too." Harmony said.
"Not if I can help it, " said Hermione grimly. "Flitwick told me in secret that I got a hundred and twelve percent on his exam. They're not throwing me out after that."
After dinner the three of them sat nervously apart in the common room. Nobody bothered them; none of the Gryffindors had anything to say to the twins anymore after all. This was the first night Harmony hadn't been upset by it. Hermione was skimming through all her notes, hoping to come across one of the enchantments they were about to try and break. Harry, Ron, and Harmony didn't talk much. All of them were thinking about what to do.
Slowly, the room emptied as people drifted off to bed.
"Better get the Cloak," Ron muttered, as Lee Jordan finally left, stretching and yawning. Harry ran upstairs to get the Cloak. He came back with the Cloak and the flute Hagrid had given him for Christmas.
"We'd better put the Cloak on here, and make sure it covers all four of us—if Filch spots one of our feet wandering along on its own—"
"What are you doing?" said a voice from the corner of the room. Neville appeared from behind an armchair, clutching Trevor the toad, who looked as thought he'd been making another bid for freedom.
"Nothing, Neville, nothing," said Harry, hurriedly putting the Cloak behind his back.
Neville stared at their guilty faces.
"You're going out again," he said.
"No, no, no," said Hermione. "No we're not. Why don't you go to bed, Neville?"
Harmony looked at the grandfather clock by the door. They couldn't afford to waste anymore time, Snape might even now by playing Fluffy to sleep.
"You can't go out," said Neville, "you'll be caught again. Gryffindor will be in even more trouble."
"You don't understand," said Harmony, "this is important."
But Neville was clearly steeling himself to do something desperate.
"I won't let you do it," he said, hurrying to stand in front of the portrait hole. "I'll—I'll fight you!"
"Neville," Ron exploded "get away form that hole and don't be an idiot—"
"Don't you call me an idiot!" said Neville. "I don't think you should be breaking any more rules! And you were the one who told me to stand up to people!"
"Yes, but not to us," said Ron in exasperation. "Neville, you don't know what you're doing."
He took a step forward and Neville dropped Trevor the toad, who leapt out of sight.
"Go on then, try and hit me!" said Neville, raising his fists. "I'm ready!"
Hermione stepped forward.
"Neville," she said, "I'm really, really sorry about this."
She raised her wand.
"Petrificus Totalus!" she cried, pointing at Neville.
Neville's arms snapped to his sides. His legs sprang together. His whole body rigid, he swayed where he stood and then fell flat on his face, stiff as a board.
Hermione ran to turn him over. Neville's jaws were jammed together so he couldn't speak. Only his eyes were moving, looking at them in horror.
"What've you done to him?" Harry whispered.
"It's the full Body-Bind," said Harmony.
"Oh, Neville, I'm so sorry." Said Hermione.
"We had to, Neville, no time to explain," said Harry.
"You'll understand later, Neville," said Ron as they stepped over him and pulled on the Invisibility Cloak.
They continued on. In their nervous state, every statue's shadow looked like Filch, every distant breath of wind sounded like Peeves swooping down on them.
At the foot of the first set of stairs, they spotted Mrs. Norris skulking near the top.
"Oh, let's kick her, just this once," Ron whispered, but Harry shook his head. AS they climbed carefully around her, Mrs. Norris turned her lamplike eyes on them, but didn't do anything.
They didn't meet anyone else until they reached the staircase up to the third floor. Peeves was bobbing halfway up, loosening the carpet so people would trip.
"Who's there?" he said suddenly as they climbed toward him. He narrowed his wicked black eyes. "I know you're there, even if I can't see you. Are you ghoulie or ghostie or student beastie?"
He rose up in the air and floated there squinting at them.
"Should call Filch, I should, if something's a-creeping around unseen."
"Peeves," said Harry suddenly in a hoarse whisper, "the Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible."
Peeves almost fell out of the air in shock. He caught himself in time and hovered about a foot off the stairs.
"So sorry, your bloodiness, Mr. Baron, sir," he said greasily. "My mistake, my mistake—I didn't see you—of course I didn't you're invisible—forgive old Peevsie his little joke, sir."
"I have business here, Peeves," croaked Harry. "Stay away from this place tonight."
"I will, sir, I most certainly will," said Peeves, rising up in the air again. "Hope your business goes well, Baron, I'll not bother you."
And he scooted off.
"Brilliant, Harry!" whispered Ron.
Harmony turned back and kissed her brother on the cheek.
A few seconds later, they were there, outside the third-floor corridor—and the door was already ajar.
"Well, there you are," Harry said quietly, "Snape's already got past Fluffy."
Seeing the open door somehow seemed to impress upon all four of them what was facing them. Underneath the Cloak, Harry turned to the rest of them.
"If you want to go back, I won't blame you," he said. "You can take the Cloak, I won't need it now."
"Harry what do you mean, I? I believe the correct term is we, since I am your sister and I will stick with you to the very end. There is absolutely no way to change my mind, either." Harmony said.
"Don't be stupid," said Ron.
"We're coming," said Hermione.
Harry pushed the door open.
As they door creaked, low, rumbling growls met their ears. All three of the dog's noses sniffed madly in their direction, even though it couldn't see them.
"What's that at its feet?" Hermione whispered.
"Looks like a harp," said Ron. "Snape must have left it there."
"It must wake up the moment you stop playing," said Harmony.
"Well, here goes . . . "
Harry put the flute that Hagrid had given him to his lips and blew. It wasn't really a tune, but from the first note the beast's eyes began to droop. Slowly, the dog's growls ceased—it tottered on its paws and fell to its knees, then it slumped to the ground, fast asleep.
"Keep playing," Ron warned Harry as they slipped out of the Cloak and crept toward the trapdoor. They could feel the dog's hot, smelly breath as they approached the giant heads.
"I think we'll be able to pull the door open," said Ron , peering over the dog's back, "Want to go first, Hermione?"
"No, I don't!"
"But I do." Said Harmony and she stepped lightly, almost ballerina like, over the dog's legs. She bent and pulled the ring of the trapdoor, which swung up and open.
"What can you see?" Hermione said anxiously.
"Nothing—just black—there's no way of climbing down, we'll just have to drop."
"What do we do?" Hermione asked.
"Well one of us has to go first." said Harmony. "See you down there." And with that she slipped into the dark.
Harmony landed with a muffled sort of thump on something soft. She sat up and felt around, her eyes not used to the gloom. It felt as though she was sitting on some sort of plant.
She heard the flute stop and she tensed, she heard it pick up again just as suddenly as it had stopped, and then there was a flump. Someone else had followed her down.
"Okay, who is it?" She asked into the dark.
"It's just me." She heard Harry's voice say. "It's okay!" he called up to the others.
"It's a soft landing, you can jump!" Harmony called.
Ron followed right away. He landed, sprawled next to Harry.
"What's this stuff?" were his first words.
"Dunno, some sort of plant thing. I suppose it's here to break the fall. Come on, Hermione!"
The distant music stopped. There was a loud bark from the dog, but Hermione had already jumped. She landed on Harry's other side, between Harry and Harmony.
"We must be miles under the school," she said.
"Lucky this plan thing's here, really," said Ron.
"Lucky!" shrieked Hermione. "Look at you!"
She leapt up and struggled toward a damp wall. She had to struggle because the moment she had landed, the plant had started to twist snake like tendrils around her ankles. As for Harry, Harmony, and Ron, their legs had already been bound tightly in long creepers without their noticing.
Hermione had managed to free herself before the plant got a first grip on her. Now she watched in horror a the other three fought to pull the plant off them, but the more they strained against it, the tighter and fast the plant wound around them.
"Stop moving!" Harmony suddenly ordered. "I know what this is—it's Devil's Snare!"
"Oh, I'm so glad we know what it's called, that's a great help," snarled Ron, leaning back, trying to stop the plant from curling around his neck.
"Shut up, I'm trying to remember how to kill it!" said Hermione.
"Well, hurry up, I can't breath!" Harry gasped, wrestling with it as it curled around his chest.
Harmony had stopped moving when she had figured out what it was and was now thinking at the speed of light.
"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare . . . Hermione, what did Professor Sprout say?"
"—it likes the dark and the damp—" Hermione said.
"So light a fire!" Harry choked.
"Yes—of course—but there's no wood!" Hermione cried, wringing her hands.
"HAVE YOU GONE MAD?" Ron bellowed. "ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"
"Oh, right!" said Hermione, and she whipped out her wand, waved it, muttered something, and sent a jet of bluebell flames at the plant. In a matter of seconds, the three others felt it loosening its grip as it cringed away from the light and warmth. Wriggling and flailing, it unraveled itself from their bodies, and they were able to pull free.
"Lucky you pay attention in Herbology," said Harry addressing both his sister and Hermione as they joined Hermione at the wall.
"Yeah," said Ron, "and lucky Harry doesn't lose his head in a crisis –'there's no wood,' honestly"
"This way," said Harry, pointing down a stone passageway that sloped downward, and Harmony was reminded of Gringotts. What would they meet down there? Harmony automatically pulled out her wand.
"Can you hear something?" Ron whispered.
Harmony listened. A soft rustling and clinking seemed to be coming from up ahead.
"Do you think it's a ghost?"
"I don't' know . . . sounds like wings to me."
"There's light ahead—I can see something moving."
They reached the end of the passageway and saw before them a brilliantly lit chamber, its ceiling arching high above them. It was full of small, jewel-bright birds, fluttering and tumbling all around the room. On the opposite side of the chamber was a heavy wooden door.
"Do you think they'll attack us if we cross the room?" said Ron.
"Probably," said Harry. " They don't look very vicious, but I suppose if they all swooped down at once . . . well, there's no other choice . . . I'll run."
He covered his face with his arms, and sprinted across the room. Harmony expected to see sharp beaks and claws tearing at him any second, but nothing happened. Harry reached the door untouched.
They followed Harry to the other side. They tugged and heaved at the door, which was locked, but it wouldn't budge, not even when Hermione tried her Alohomora Charm.
"Now what?" said Ron.
"These birds . . . they can't be here just for decoration." Said Hermione.
They watched the birds soaring overhead, glittering—glittering?
"They're not birds!" Harmony said suddenly. "They're keys! Winged keys—look carefully. So that must mean . . ." she looked around the chamber while the other three squinted up at the flock of keys. " . . .yes—look! Broomsticks! We've got to catch the key to the door!"
"But there are hundreds of them!" Harry said.
Ron examined the lock on the door.
"We're looking for a big, old-fashioned one—probably silver, like the handle."
They each seized a broomstick and kicked off into the air, soaring into the midst of the cloud of keys. They grabbed and snatched, but the bewitched keys darted and dived so quickly it was almost impossible to catch one.
Not for nothing though, was Harry the youngest Seeker in a century. After a minute's weaving about through the while of rainbow feathers, he called.
"That one! That big one—there—no, there—with bright blue wings—the feathers are all crumpled on one side."
Ron went speeding in the direction that Harry was pointing, crashed into the ceiling and nearly fell off his broom.
"We've got to close in on it!" Harry called, "Ron, you come at it from above—Hermione, stay below it and stop it from going down—Harmony you get in front of it—and I'll try and catch it. Right, NOW!"
Ron dived, Hermione rocketed upward, Harmony stayed in place, but the key got around her and the others. Harry streaked after it; it sped toward the wall, Harry leaned forward and with a nasty, crunching nose, pinned it against the stone with one hand. Ron, Hermione, and Harmony's cheers echoed around the high chamber.
They landed quickly, and Harry ran to the door. He rammed the key into the lock and turned—it worked. The moment the lock had clicked open, they key took flight again, looking very battered now that it had been caught twice.
"Ready?" Harry asked the others, his hand on the door handle. They nodded. He pulled the door open.
The next chamber was so dark they couldn't see anything at all. But as they stepped into it, light suddenly flooded the room to reveal an astonishing sight.
They were standing on the edge of a huge chessboard, behind the black chessmen, which were all taller than they were and carved from what looked like black stone. Facing them, way across the chamber, were the white pieces. Harry, Ron, Harmony, and Hermione shivered slightly—the towering white chessmen had no faces.
"Now what do we do?" Harry whispered.
"It's obvious, isn't it?" said Ron. "We've got to play out way across the room."
Behind the white pieces they could see another door.
"How?" said Hermione nervously.
"I think," said Ron, we're going to have to be chessmen."
He walked up to a black knight and put his hand out to touch the knight's horse. At once, the stone sprang to life. The horse pawed the ground and the knight turned his helmeted head to look down at Ron.
"Do we—er—have to join you to get across?"
The black knight nodded. Ron turned to the other three.
"This needs thinking about . . ." he said. "I suppose we've got to take the place of four of the black pieces . . ."
The other three stayed quiet, watching Ron think. Finally he said, "Now, don't be offended or anything, but none of you are that good at chess—"
"We're not offended," said Harmony quickly. "Just tell us what to do."
"Well, Harry, you take the place of that bishop, Hermione you go there instead of that castle, Harmony take the position of the far left pawn."
"What about you?"
"I'm going to be a knight," said Ron.
The chessmen seemed to have been listening, because at these words a knight, a bishop, a castle, and a pawn turned their backs on the white pieces and walked off the board, leaving four empty squares that each of them took.
"White always plays first in chess," said Ron, peering across the board. "Yes . . . look . . ."
A white pawn had moved forward two squares.
Ron started to direct the black pieces. They moved silently wherever he sent them. Harmony was scared, what if they lost?
Their first real shock came when their other knight was taken. The white queen smashed him to the floor and dragged him off the board, where he lay quite still, facedown.
"Had to let that happen," said Ron, looking shaken. "Leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione, go on."
Every time one of their men was lost, the white pieces showed no mercy. Soon there was a huddle of limp black players slumped along the wall.
"We're nearly there," Ron muttered suddenly. "Let me think—let me think . . ."
The white queen turned her blank face toward him.
"Yes . . ." said Ron softly. "it's the only way . . . I've got to be taken."
"NO!" Harry, Harmony, and Hermione shouted.
"That's chess!" snapped Ron. "You've got to make some sacrifices! I'll make my move and she'll take me—that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!"
"But—"
"Do you want to stop Snape of not?"
"Ron—"
"Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone!"
There was no alternative.
"Ready?" Ron called, his face pale but determined. "Here I go—now, don't hang around once you've won."
He stepped forward, and the white queen pounced. She struck Ron hard across the head with her stone arm, and he crashed to the floor—Hermione screamed but stayed on her square—Harmony covered her mouth in fright but didn't move an inch—the white queen dragged Ron to one side. He looked as if he'd been knocked out.
Harry moved three spaces to the left.
The white king took off his crown and threw it at Harry's feet. They had won. The chessmen parted and bowed, leaving the door ahead clear. With one last desperate look back at Ron. Harry, Harmony, and Hermione charged through the door and up the next passageway.
"What if he's--?" Hermione began.
"He'll be all right," said Harry. "What do you reckon's next?"
"We've had Sprout's, that was the Devil's Snare . . ." Hermione started.
"Flitwick must've put charms on the keys . . ." Harmony put in.
"McGonagall transfigured the chessmen to make them alive . . ." Harry said.
"That leaves Quirrell's spell, and Snape's . . ." Harmony concluded.
They had reached another door.
Harry pushed it open.
A disgusting smell filled their nostrils, making all of them pull their robes up over their noses. Eyes watering, they saw, flat on the floor in front of them, a troll even larger than the one they had tackled, out cold with a bloody lump on its head.
"I'm glad we didn't have to fight that one," Harry whispered as they stepped carefully over one of its massive legs. "Come on, I can't breathe."
He pulled open the next door, all of them hardly daring to look at what came next—but there was nothing very frightening in here, just a table with seven differently shaped bottles standing on it in a line.
"Snape's," said Harry. "What do we have to do?"
They stepped over the threshold, and immediately a fire sprang up behind them in the doorway. It wasn't ordinary fire either; it was purple. At the same instant, black flames shot up in the doorway leading onward. They were trapped.
"Look!" Hermione seized a roll of paper lying next to the bottles. Harmony and Harry looked over her shoulder to read it:
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.
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 onward, neither is your friend;
Third, as you see clearly all are different size,
Neither dwarf not 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 and Harmony let out a sigh in unison and looked at each other smiling.
"Brilliant," said Harmony. "This isn't magic—it's logic—a puzzle."
"A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever." Hermione finished.
"But so will we, won't we?" Harry asked.
"Of course not," said Harmony. "Everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles . . ."
"Three are poison . . ." Hermione continued.
"Two are wine . . ." Harmony put in.
"One will get us safely through the black fire . . ." Hermione said.
"And one will get us back through the purple. . ." Harmony ended.
"But how do we know which to drink?" asked Harry.
"Give us a minute." Harmony said.
The girls began to read the paper over and over. Sometimes looking at each other, sometimes walking down the line of bottles, talking between themselves and pointing at the bottles. At last they turned to Harry.
"Got it," Harmony said.
"The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire—toward the Stone." Said Hermione.
"There's only enough for two of us,"' he said "That's hardly two swallows."
They looked at each other.
"Which one will get you two back through the purple flames?"
Hermione pointed at a rounded bottle at the right end of the line.
"You two drink that," said Harry. "No listen, get back and get Ron. Grab brooms from the flying-key room, they'll get you out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy—go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, we need him. I might be able to hold Snape off for a while, but I'm no match for him, really."
"But Harry—what if You-Know-Who's with him?" Hermione asked.
"Then I will be right by Harry's side facing him. " Harmony said looking straight into her brother's eyes.
"No Harmony, listen—" Harry said.
"No Harry, you listen. We're twins, you're the only family I've got. If you die down there, I'd never forgive myself. You're my brother and you're not going alone. I told you I was in this with you to the end. And to the end it shall be." Harmony said, stubbornly. "Besides we were lucky once weren't we? We might get lucky again."
"Go on Hermione." Harry said.
Hermione's lip trembled, and she suddenly dashed at Harry and Harmony and threw her arms around them.
"You're great wizard's you know." She said.
"Not as good as you," said Harry as she let go of them.
"Me!" said Hermione. "Books! And cleverness! Harmony's got those too. There are more important things—friendship and bravery and—oh—be careful!"
"You drink first," Harmony said.
"You are sure which is which, aren't you?" Harry asked, looking at the two girls.
"Positive," Harmony said.
Hermione took a long drink from the round bottle at the end, and shuddered.
"It's not poison?" said Harry anxiously.
"No—but it's like ice,"
"Quick, go, before it wears off." Harmony said.
"Good luck—take care—"
"GO!" The twins shouted together.
Hermione turned and walked straight through the purple fire.
Harmony turned to her brother. All it took was one look and they knew the other was thinking; this may be the last time they were together. They embraced then, for the longest amount of time they ever had. They took in everything about the other, the way the other griped, the way they laid their head on the others shoulder, everything. Through that hug every feeling of love was transmitted between the twins.
"Ready?" Harmony said when they finally broke apart.
Harry picked up the smallest bottle.
"Let's do it." He said as they both turned toward the black flames.
They each took a swallow from the bottle. It was indeed as though ice was flooding Harmony's body. They both walked forward hand in hand. Harmony could see the flames licking her body, but she couldn't feel them—for a moment her vision was clouded with black fire—then they were on the other side, in the last chamber.
There was already someone there—but it wasn't Snape. It wasn't even Voldemort.