Chapter Twenty-Seven: Harry

Later that night, Harry and Ron snuck down the boys' staircase to meet the girls in front of the fireplace. Harry had his father's cloak draped over one arm and he was anxious to get to the third-floor corridor and stop Professor Snape from helping Voldemort come back. At the bottom of the staircase, they run into Hallie, Prim, and Hermione. "Are you ready?" Harry says quietly.

"As ready as we ever can be, I guess." Hallie says in reply to him. Harry nods and they start to walk towards the doorway when all of a sudden, they hear a chair move and Harry stops dead in his track.

Neville stands up from his chair and looks at the five of them with complete and total disappointment all over his face. "What are the five of you doing? Are you trying to lose Gryffindor even more points?"

"Neville, you don't understand what is going on. It's a matter of life and death." Harry says to try and show him that what was happening was very serious without giving him a lot of information.

Neville just stares at them and sighs sadly. "I can't let you five lose Gryffindor anymore points. I'm going to have to go to Professor McGonagall. How can you five even do this? Wouldn't the fact that the house despises most of you, would stop you from trying to do something stupid like this."

"I'm sorry Neville." Hermione says before quickly pulling her wand out and casts, "Petrificus Totalus." And just like that Neville falls to the floor, paralyzed. "I really didn't want to do that Neville but you gave us no choice. We promise that we won't get caught or lose the house anymore points. Come on guys, we need to get going."

Ron looks from Hermione to Neville and then back to Hermione before saying, "Bloody hell, Hermione. When did you learn that spell? We are not supposed to learn it until year two or three."

"I started to learn the spell over the Christmas holiday, but I only had mastered it a few weeks ago. Now, come on." Hermione says as Hallie starts to wrap her cloak around the three girls. The boys follow Hallie's lead and the five young Gryffindors sneak out of their common room, hopefully for the last time. They make their way to the third-floor corridor and to the lock door before stopping right in front of it.

Hallie and Harry pull the clocks off and they go and hide them over in a suit of armour. "Everyone knows what to do, right?" Harry asks as Prim pulls out a small wooden flute.

"I'll play Hagrid's flute until the other three jump in, then I'll jump in and lastly you will jump in." Prim says as she takes in a breath to probably settle her nerves.

"Actually, Prim, let me play it. I would feel much better if I was the one playing. We all need to make sure we have our wands out. Hermione, will you do the honours?" Harry asks and Hermione nods her head.

She pulls out her wand before saying, "Alohomora." And just like that, Hermione has the door unlocked and Hallie pulls it open.

"Harry, hand me the flute. I actually know how to play it." Hallie tells her twin.

"No, I don't want you anywhere near that beast. You're my baby sister, which means I need to be the one that goes last." Harry counters.

Hallie sighs and rolls her eyes. "Harry, I know how to take care of myself. Please let me play the flute. I'll be able to keep Fluffy asleep better than you would." Harry and Hallie have a staring contest for a couple of seconds before Harry hands over the flute. "Thank you." The five young Gryffindors walk in through the door and notice that Fluffy was already sleeping by the sound of an enchanted harp.

"Crap, Professor Snape has already come through. We need to hurry." Harry says just as the harp stops playing. Thankfully, Hallie was already ready to play the flute, so Fluffy only growled a little. Harry walked over to the trap door and pulls on the ring to open it. He looks down but can't see anything because of how dark it was. "Lumos Solem." Harry points his wand down into the whole but still couldn't see anything. "Nox." He turns to his friends before saying, "I can't see anything. If anything happens to me when I jump in, go to the Owlry and send Hedwig to Professor Dumbledore. Tell him everything." With that, Harry takes a deep breath before climbing into the hole and letting go. He falls for a bit before landing on something soft. Feeling around, he finally decides that whatever he landed on must be some type of giant plant. "Okay, it's safe to come on down."

Harry only has to wait a couple of seconds before feeling someone fall down next to him, and then again and again and again. "Who is next to me?"

"I am," Hermione calls from his left.

"And I'm to your right, Harry." Prim tells him. Harry nods his head and Prim asks, "What is this?"

Harry looks down at his legs and say, "I think it's some type of plant, but I'm not sure what type. It's probably only here to break our fall, is my guess. Lucky for us."

"Lucky!" Hermione shrieks and tries to get up but wasn't able too. "Oh no. Oh no. Oh no!"

"What is it, Hermione?" Ron asks.

"This plant… We all need to stop moving." She says as she starts to calm down. "It's Devil Snare."

Harry looks down at his legs, only to notice that he was wrapped tightly with the plant's vines. "Hermione, what do we do? I can't remember what we are supposed to do for Devil Snare!"

"Harry, we have to stop moving. If we resist to the plant, it will only continue to try to kill us." Prim says as she lets out all the tension in her body.

Ron groans and sends a glare over at Prim. "Thank goodness you know how to get us killed even quicker!" Ron says as he keeps a vine from trying to wrap around his neck.

Harry watches both Hermione, Prim, and Hallie relax before falling through the plant. "Guys! Are you okay?" Harry yells as he struggles a bit more.

He hears a loud sigh before his sister yells, "We are okay, but the two of you won't be if you don't relax!" Harry thinks about catching Professor Snape and how good it will be to be told that they not only saved the school but also the whole wizarding world from Voldemort yet again.

Slowly he could feel his body start to relax and instead of fighting the Devil's Snare, he embraced it like he would his sister of cousin. Moments later, his body starts to be sucked down through the plant before finally falling roughly onto the floor below. "Thank God the fall wasn't further down. Hals, are you okay? Prim, Hermione?"

"Yes Harry, all three of us are okay but Ron won't be in a few moments!" Hallie says as she looks up at where Ron's body was most likely at. "He needs to calm down."

Harry looks up and is disturbed by how still Ron's spot was starting to look like. "Hermione, do you remember what Devil's Snare hates the most?" He asks.

"I'm trying to remember, Harry, I really am." Hermione says as she starts to pace. "Devil's Snare likes damp and dark places, right Prim?" Prim nods and bites her lip. "So, what does Devil's Snare hates the most?"

"Sunlight!" All three of the girls say at the same time.

Prim pulls her wand out and points at Ron's spot before yelling, "Lumos Solem." And just like that Ron falls through and lands on his bottom.

"Ow…"

"Are you okay, Ron?" Prim asks as she knells next to him and he nods his head 'yes'. "Good." And with that she smacks him on the back of his head.

Ron yelps in pain and says, "What was that for?"

Hallie laughs and answers for her cousin. "It's because you wouldn't listen to anyone just now. Now come on guys. We have to make sure Professor Snape doesn't get anywhere near the stone."

"She's right, so let's go guys." Harry says as he pulls Ron up to his feet. The five of them head down a damp hallways and before Harry could even think about what their next challenge could be as they come across a room with a high ceiling.

He looks around and says, "What are those?" The rest of the gang look over to where he is pointing and they all begin to think. "Are they birds?"

"No… Harry, I don't think so… Wait… Was that a key with wings?" Hallie questions.

"Why would there be keys flying around?" Ron and Prim ask at the same time.

Hermione skirts around the room before finally stopping at the door on the other side of the room. She tries to open the door but nothing happens. "Guys, I think each teacher that Professor Dumbledore trusted the most set up an obstacle to prevent someone from getting the stone. So, we've had Hagrid, Professor Sprout… and I think this is Professor Flitwick's obstacle." Hermione continues to look around and sighs. "I think we have to find a certain key so we can open the door."

Hallie walks across the room and looks at the door knob before she says, "The lock slash knob looks pretty old; so, I think we need to find an older key. And I don't think any of those keys are coming down towards us; so that means Harry needs to head up towards them."

"Why me?" Harry questions and everyone gives him a look. "Alright, I know why me… Does anyone see a broom around?" The group looks around before Ron notices a broom stuffed into a trunk.

"Here you go, Harry. I think the broom should be fine." Ron says as he hands off the broom and the group besides Harry moves to the door. "Okay, Harry, try to find that key." Harry nods his head and takes his place onto the broom.

He lets his thoughts fall away and takes a deep breath before kicking off the ground and into the air. Okay, where is an old key… I wonder if Professor Snape as already came through, would that mean that the key will be still flying… He flies around the room, vrooming through a bunch of keys. None of these are the type of key that we need.

"Guys, I'm not seeing anything that would looks like it will fit." Harry calls down and continues to look. "Wait…" He stops where he was at and looks up at the furthest corner of the room. There was what looked like an old silver key with a broken wing. "I think I found it! And if it's the correct key, then Professor Snape has already come through."

"Okay, well, all we can do is try to catch it. We can figure out what comes next if it is the actual key." Hallie calls up to her brother and he nods his head.

Letting everything fall away, all he does is focus onto the old silver key. A few seconds later, he zooms off and goes right for the key. The key realizes seconds before that he was trying to catch it, and it flies off like the snitch does during games.

He flies back down and huffs. "Guys, we need a plan. This key is pissed off since it already has one broken wing. So, what should we do? I mean, I have a slight plan but it involves everyone getting on a broom…"

"No, I'm sorry, but I hate brooms! Please, can I stay on the ground for this one? I'll watch from down here for anything to go crazy." Hermione says as she shakes her head. "Please guys…"

Harry nods his head and says, "Sure, but first we need to make sure that there are more brooms." The others nod their heads and all five of them look around before finding two more brooms stuffed into a corner. "So, who's willing to go up there with me?"

"I will." Ron says as he raises his hand.

"Same," Hallie tells them as she grabs the other broom. "Now what is the plan.

Harry smiles at his sister before saying, "Okay, so, Ron… Once we get the key locked in sight, I need you to come at it from up top and Hals, I need you to keep it from escaping by heading down from me trying to catch it. Hermione and Prim, I want you two to watch the other keys… I have a feeling that once the three of us try to gang up on the key we need, they will come after us." Harry, Hallie, and Ron all get their brooms ready before Harry says, "Is everyone ready?" They all nod their heads before Harry, Hallie, and Ron push off. "Remember guys, our focus is all over that one key; don't get distracted, okay?" And with that they fly to look for the key.

Ron heads up to the ceiling, looking down for the silver key. "Harry, I'm not seeing anything yet. Could this key have gone back into hiding?"

"Maybe… Hals, what about you?" He calls over to his sister.

Hallie looks around and says, "It looks like it might be up around that little alcove. Proceed with caution, okay?" All three of them make their ways up to the alcove and Harry looks over at the key. "Is that the correct key?"

"It is… Okay Ron, move up and Hals, head down a bit. And on my count of three, we will go after it. One. Two. Three." And just like that many things happened at once. The key that they were trying to catch darts out from Harry's fingertips and past Ron's ear; and all the other keys started to fly around the three first years like a tornado.

"Guys, is everyone okay? We can't see you with how bad the key bubble is." Hermione screams up to them.

Harry looks over to where his sister was a moment ago before calling down, "Yeah, we are okay. The keys are not actually doing anything to us… yet. Hallie, Ron, we are going to try this one more time. Focus. Don't worry about what is going on around us, but as soon as I get the key; head down to the door. I don't want to see what these keys are capable of." Both of them call out their agreement and Harry looks for the silver key.

It takes him many minutes before his eyes finally find it. "Okay guys, follow my lead. We have to get it right this time because Professor Snape is probably there with the stone. One, two, three, go!" And a few things happened differently this time. The key was not as quick as it was the time before, so Harry was able to carefully get his hand around it… But the bubble of keys around their group of three did not like the fact that he was able to get the correct key. He flies over to his sister and hands her the key. "Guys, dive now while I distract them! Open the door, and I'll make it through, okay."

Hallie nods her head and he didn't give them another glance as he kept the hand that originally had the key hidden. He flew up and away as his sister and best friend made a dash to the door. Keeping the keys focused on him, he flies up in a spiral before noticing that all four of his group made it through the open door.

He makes his descent fast, yelling along the way, "Throw the key back inside. And as soon as I'm through, slam that door shut." He picks up his speed – which is hard to do on a school's broom – but he was able to make it through the door with at least a few seconds to spare.

Jumping off of the broom, Harry looks over at his best friends and family. "Well… Whose ready to face the next challenge?" No one said anything but all five started walking through the small corridor and through the door into blackness.

All of a sudden, the room is basked with light and they could see that they were standing on a large chessboard. "We have to play to get across… I just know it." Ron says and looks at the group. "I know wizard chess better than anyone else. This challenge is mine… The first challenge was directed to our smarty pants – so Prim, Hermione, and Hallie. The second challenge was all Harry. So, this one has to be for me… Let's see…"

"Wait, Ron. We should just check to make sure that we do in-fact need to play." Prim says with a roll of her eyes.

Ron looks at her before sighing. "Fine." He walks up to where one of their black knights was and asks, "Are we supposed to play?" The knight's horse nods and Ron looks back over to the group. "Now, the real question is who everyone should play… Harry and Hallie, both of you are going to be our bishops, Hermione will be one of our castles, and Prim… you will be our queen." As Ron speaks, the five pieces that he called off walks right off the board. "Everyone, get into your places. It's time to start."

Harry watched and did as he was told, while Ron zipped around the board basically. Neither team were kind when they took a pawn, especially the white queen. She was brutal whenever she took out one of their pieces. Ron really tried to keep their pieces standing but there's always a piece that had to be lost like their other knight.

They were getting to the nitty-gritty of the match when Ron sighs. "It has to be done, guys…"

"What does?" Prim calls from her space on the board.

Ron looks at each one of them before sighing again. "She has to take me, so Harry can check mate their king."

"No! There has to be another way, Ron!" Hermione calls out. "Please, someone say there is another way!"

"Hermione… He's probably right." Harry says sadly.

Ron sighs and looks over at Prim. "Prim, you have to make sure you stay in your place. Don't move to come check on me, Hallie. I'm going to be alright, but we have to do this. We have to beat Professor Snape. Now remember Harry, just three spaces to the left and you got him." And with that, Ron moves and the queen takes him down. All three girls yelp and close their eyes as Harry finishes the game.

With the game over, the four move on without Ron. "So, we've had everyone but Professor Quirrell and Snape's… Okay, we are close to being done and hopefully saving everyone…" Hallie says with a shiver. "Let's get this over with…" She pushes through the next door and all four of them start to gag.

"Why does it have to be another troll! Professor Quirrell is deathly afraid of them… but to be honest, he's deathly afraid of everything… The troll looks to still be out cold… Should we drop something on it to be on the safe side?" Prim asks with a shrug. As soon as she was done speaking, the troll started to grumble and Prim quickly pulls out her wand to cast the levitating spell.

Once the troll was out cold again, the group walks over its meaty legs opens the door. Harry and Hermione were the first two to walk through and as soon as they cross the barrier, a purple flame sprouts up and traps them from going back through. At the other door, black flames ring out like crazy. "Harry! Hermione! Is everyone alright?" Hallie calls out, though they could barely hear her.

"Yes… We will figure this out and one of us will come back to get you. You two just keep watch on that troll." Harry calls out and follows Hermione over to where the table that had seven bottles.

Hermione picks up a rolled scroll and started to read:

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 on either end,

But if you would move onward, 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.

"Awesome! Okay, it's a riddle… One bottle gets us through to one side and the other allows us through the way we came. Three are poison and two are merely wine. So, let's go back over the riddle." Hermione continues to read to herself before finally saying, "I know which one to take, Harry. The smallest bottle will take you through the black flames and the round one will allow me back through the purple flames."

Harry looks at her before asking, "Wait, are you not coming through with me?"

"I can't Harry. If you look at the small bottle there is enough for two or three small sips. This is yours and Hallie's fight. She needs to be the one with you in the next fight. I will let her know which one to take to get to you." Hermione says with a sigh.

"You're right… This is our fight, but I just wish we had you and Prim with us. Are you sure that she will be able to get through?" Hermione nods and he pulls her into a quick hug. "Okay, then follow my plan. You and Prim need to grab Ron and take the brooms from the key room. They should allow you three to get past Fluffy and go straight to the Owlry. Send Hedwig to Professor Dumbledore… Hals and I should be able to hold Professor Snape off for a while but he's more experienced…"

Hermione sighs and asks, "And what if He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is there?"

"I've survived him before, 'Mione… I can do it again if it means we keep the stone from him. Now take yours and drink. I want to make sure you get back safely." Hermione smiles and pulls him into a hard hug. She grabs the round bottle and takes a drink before grimacing. "Were you wrong?"

"No, it just makes me feel like ice is running through my veins. Don't freak if Hals doesn't come right through, the room might take some time before allowing someone to walk back through. Be careful, Harry." And with that, he watches her walk safely through the purple flames.

Nodding his head, he grabs the small bottle and takes a drink. Ugh, Hermione was correct. This does make me feel like I have ice running through my veins. He takes a deep breath and steps through the black flames. Walking through, he notices something that he wasn't expecting… The person standing in front of the mirror wasn't Professor Snape or Voldemort, but Professor Quirrell.

"You? What are you doing here?" Harry questions as he rubs his scar.

Professor Quirrell turns around to face him before saying calmly. "Who were you expecting Potter? Maybe our potions master? I did make it seem like he hated you very much, didn't I?"

"Why? What do you have to gain here, Professor?" Harry asks as he tries to figure out what to do until his sister walks through. "Are you saying that it wasn't Professor Snape that tried to kill me during my first match?"

He watched his Defence Against the Dark Arts professor pace in front of what looked like the Mirror of Erised. He cannot figure out that mirror! He will end up with the stone that way! "Of course, he wasn't… He was trying to save you which is strange… He also stopped me on Halloween night… I was hoping that the troll would've killed you but atlas he didn't… And yes, I was the one who let him in. I needed to see what was guarding the entrance to the stone. But for some reason Professor Snape has been one step ahead of me this entire year… Now… I need to figure out how to get this stone." And with that, Professor Quirrell shoots out a coil of ropes and tries Harry up. "I see myself holding the stone up to my master but it does not tell me how I am to find it. I wonder if the stone is somehow in the mirror… Should I break it, perhaps? Master, what do you think?"

To Harry's surprise, he hears a cold voice speaking from Quirrell's turban. "The boy must know… Use the boy." Professor Quirrell turns around and magically makes the ropes disappear.

"Come Harry. Tell us what you see."

Harry walks up to the mirror. Whatever I see, I will lie about it. This stone will not come into Professor Quirrell's possession if I can help it. Looking into the mirror, he just sees himself and Professor Quirrell but then the boy in the mirror smiles and shoves his hand in his pocket. Pulling out his hand, he sees a blood-red stone shining in the candle light. As he puts the stone away, Harry feels his pocket become heavy. Somehow, he had received the stone… but how? "Well, boy?"

"I… I see myself standing with my friends and Professor Dumbledore. We've won the House Cup for the year. Somehow we pulled it off…" Harry tells the professor and walks off to the side. How do I leave without making him realize that I have the stone? He starts to back up slowly and almost gets to the staircase when he hears that cold voice again.

"The boy… he lies! He lies! Let me speak with him!" Professor Quirrell tries to say something but the voice cuts him off. Harry watches in horror has Professor Quirrell starts to unravel his turban. Once the cloth was completely gone, his professor turns around slowly. "Potter… Do you see what you've done to me? This is what I've came to be. My servant found me in a far-off place during his travels last summer and now… I have to use unicorn blood to keep us alive. Of course, Quirrell has been a loyal servant but I need the stone that's in your pocket for me to make myself a new body. Now, are you going to give me the stone or not?" Harry shakes his head 'no' and Voldemort growls. "Kill the boy! Get me that stone!"

Professor Quirrell comes after Harry and all Harry could think to do to protect himself is throw up his hands. As soon as they touched Professor Quirrell's face, he screams in agony. "Don't stop until I get that stone!" Professor Quirrell came at him again but Harry was ready. He didn't know how but he knew that his touch was burning his professor skin. It didn't take long for the professor to sub come to the burns and die. Gasping for breath, Harry starts to stumble to the staircase before hearing a strange noise. Looking back, he notices a dark mist coming out of Professor Quirrell's body. Harry turns back around to face the mist to finally notice that it had Voldemort's face. He doesn't have enough time to react before the mist flies through him and out the door. Harry stumbles and falls in pain. The last thing he remembers seeing is the burned and dead body of his defence professor.

A/N: Did I do the fight between Harry and Quirrell/Voldemort justice? Now there is only one chapter left!